Study suggests that people with severe foot pain may be able to get injections of their own body fat.
Chronic plantar fasciitis — inflammation around the heel and arch of the foot — can leave patients in agony.
A trial of 14 people with this condition has revealed a possible solution.
Participants who received the treatment said they felt more active and were able to play again after six months.
According to researchers at Pittsburgh University, the benefits were greater after one year.
Fat in the lower abdomen and thighs is known to be rich in stem cells — the human body’s raw material for repairing itself.
Stem cells can mimic any other cell in the body, such as blood or muscle cells, and are used to treat a range of conditions — from worn-out knees to damaged hearts.
In the latest study researchers injected stomach fat from patients into their toes.
One in 10 adults suffers from plantar fasciitis in the UK. It is most common among people older than 50 years and those who are overweight. Experts say that poor shoes or older footwear can raise the chance of developing plantar fasciitis.
The treatment is done by injecting fat directly into patient’s plantar fascia — the bone connecting heel bone to toes
Figures: Pain and activity of chronic plantar fasciitis sufferers (top, solid lines) in relation to treatment. The graphs were drawn in the following ways.
The condition — which can feel ‘like a nail going right through their heel’ —This is due to straining the parts of your foot that connect the heel bone and toes. It is most common in those who regularly exercise, who have tight calves, who are unable to lift heavy objects, who do not exercise often, or people who just started exercising.
Most people plagued by the pains — which strike between the heel and arch of the foot — are able to treat themselves by stretching and resting their feet.
For those with chronic conditions, surgery is the last resort. can lead to painful scarring as well as destabilising of the foot.
Researchers say the fat-injecting treatment could help avoid this — but further trials are needed to reaffirm their findings.
The study, published in Plastic and Reconstructive Surgery, studied patients from 2016 to 2020.
Dr Beth Gusenoff, a plastic surgeon at Pittsburgh University, said: ‘Plantar fasciitis is exceptionally painful.
‘When you get up from a sitting position or from sleeping, it’s a sharp, searing pain that some people describe as being like a nail going right through their heel.’
Researchers divided the patients into two groups of seven — the first of which were given the treatment at the start of the study and tracked for 12 months.
Six months later, the second group was given it and they were followed for six additional months. An uncontrolled group was not utilized.
Jeffrey Gusenoff is Beth’s husband. He’s also a plastic surgery.
“And many of the improvements that had been made six months ago after the procedure were completed got better 12 months later.”
However, the results among patients from group 2 were not as dramatic.
These results indicated decreased swelling and an increase in physical activity, but not statistically significant improvement in pain levels.
Researchers say that they expect their patients to improve if they are monitored for six more months.
Stem cells are the body’s raw materials — a basic type of cell that can change into another type of more specialised cell through a process known as differentiation.
They are also used to repair damaged cells and replace those that have been lost due to ageing or damage in adults.
Both Dr Jeffrey Gusenoff (husband and wife) were the researchers. They are also both University of Pittsburgh plastic surgeons.
Jeffrey explained that fat contains stem cells and growth factor, which can help to bring in blood supply. This results in wound healing, with reduced scarring.
To perforate plantar fascia using a blunt needle, we cause a minor injury that stimulates healing.
‘Then, when we pull the needle back, we inject a little bit of the patient’s fat.’
While obesity can be a cause of plantar fasciitis, the small amount of fat needed for the procedure is not enough to factor into the patients’ improved symptoms.
The researchers said they now are planning a larger clinical trial to validate whether the treatment could be used on patients in the real world.
The only cure for chronic plantar faciitis before the study was fascia surgery.
Beth stated, “Recently there was a plea from podiatrists not to cut the plantar fascia, because some people have a lot scar tissue which can cause pain.
“The foot may become unstable if the cut is excessive, and people can end up with a foot almost as floppy as a football foot.”