Togay Koç / 12 July 2022 / Categories: Abstracts, 2016, Podium Extracorporeal shockwave therapy for refractory heel pain: a prospective study J. Humphrey, L. Hussain, A. Latif, R. Walker, A. Abbasian, S. Singh Background: Previous studies have individually shown extracorporeal shockwave therapy (ESWT) to be beneficial for mid-substance Achilles tendinopathy, insertional Achilles tendinopathy or plantar fasciitis. The purpose of this pragmatic study was to determine the efficacy of ESWT in managing the three main causes of refractory heel pain in our routine clinical practice. Methods: 236 patients (261 feet) aged between 25 - 81 years (mean age 50.4) were treated in our NHS institute with ESWT between April 2014 and May 2016. They all underwent a clinical and radiological assessment (ultrasonography +/- magnetic resonance imaging) to determine the primary cause of heel pain. Patients were subsequently categorized into three groups, mid-substance Achilles tendinopathy (55 cases), insertional Achilles tendinopathy (55 cases) or plantar fasciitis (151 cases). If their symptoms were recalcitrant to compliant first line management for 6 months, they were prescribed three consecutive ESWT sessions at weekly intervals. All outcome measures (foot & ankle pain score, EQ-5D) were recorded at baseline and 3-month follow-up (mean 18.3 weeks, range 11.4 to 41). Results: Complete data sets were obtained for 41% of the ESWT treatments (107/261). EQ-5D scores showed a statistically significant improvement between baseline and follow-up in all three-treatment groups; mid-substance Achilles tendinopathy 0.681 to 0.734, insertional Achilles tendinopathy 0.687 to 0.742 and plantar fasciitis 0.684 to 0.731 (p< 0.05). The foot & ankle pain scores grouped for all causes of heel pain also showed a statistically significant reduction from 6.78 at baseline to 5.36 at follow-up (p< 0.05). Conclusion: Overall our results showed that ESWT is an effective tool for the management of all refractory heel pain in an NHS foot & ankle clinical practice. Print 513 Tags: AchillesTendinopathyPlantar Fasciitis
3Jul2025 Basic Skills Foot and Ankle Arthroscopy Course - open for applications 03/07/2025 Read more This courses is designed to develop and extend the knowledge and skills of training foot and ankle surgeons. Techniques of arthroscopic surgery of the joints, ligaments and tendons of the ankle and foot will be presented and demonstrated. Basic Skills covers the more common procedures which a foot and ankle surgeon would be likely to need. Delegates will be given ample time to develop their skills in each of the areas listed below using cadaver limbs. Questions and case presentations will be encouraged with an expert and interactive faculty. Anterior ankle Posterior ankle Haglund’s surgery Sub-talar joint Tendoscopy Arthroscopic Ankle fusion 1st MTP joint Documents to download Basic-Course-2025-Programme-draft(.pdf, 3.19 MB) - 445 download(s) Read more
4Jul2025 Advanced Skills Foot and Ankle Arthroscopy Course - applications open 04/07/2025 Read more This courses is designed to develop and extend the knowledge and skills of established foot and ankle surgeons. Techniques of arthroscopic surgery of the joints, ligaments and tendons of the ankle and foot will be presented and demonstrated. Advanced Skills covers some more advanced and emerging techniques. Delegates will be given ample time to develop their skills in each of the areas listed below using cadaver limbs. Questions and case presentations will be encouraged with an expert and interactive faculty. 1st MTP joint Arthroscopic lateral and medial ligament repair FHL transfer Peroneal groove and Tibialis posterior Tarsal coalition excision Sub-talar fusion Chopart joint fusion Documents to download Advanced-Course-2025-Programme-draft(.pdf, 3.29 MB) - 436 download(s) Read more
2Oct2025 BOFAS Principles Course - Dubai 02/10/2025 - 04/10/2025 Read more The aim is to give Overseas Trainee Orthopaedic Surgeons a solid grounding in the principles and the decision making in Foot & Ankle Surgery. There is an emphasis on clinical examination of cases, small group discussions and learning surgical approaches in the cadaver lab. This is the first course BOFAS is running in UAE and the aim is to expand the Foot and Ankle education and training in the Middle East and Gulf area. Venue - Le Meridien, Dubai, United Arab Emirates Documents to download ACv3BOFAS-Principles-Course-Programme-DXB(.pdf, 2.13 MB) - 153 download(s) Read more
20Oct2025 BOFAS Principles Course Taunton 20/10/2025 - 21/10/2025 Read more These courses are aimed at Higher Surgical Trainees / ST3 onwards and are designed to teach the core of Foot and Ankle surgery in an informal and interactive environment. The emphasis is on clinical examination cases, discussion groups and typical day-to-day clinic scenarios. Although not an exam preparation course, content is taught to the standard expected in the FRCS(Tr & Orth) exam; that of a day-one non-specialist orthopaedic consultant. Applications will open on 1st September 2023. Venue - Taunton (TBC) Documents to download BOFAS-Course-Programme--Taunton-2025(.docx, 31.88 KB) - 583 download(s) Read more
7Nov2025 TriCountries Diabetic Foot Symposium 07/11/2025 Read more TriCountries Diabetic Foot Symposium In-person multidisciplinary event bringing together leading experts in the UK to discuss the latest advancements in diabetic foot care. Read more
20Nov2025 7th International Congress of Foot & Ankle Minimally Invasive Surgery 20/11/2025 - 22/11/2025 Read more 7th International Congress of Foot & Ankle Minimally Invasive Surgery Read more
1Dec2025 24th Oswestry Foot & Ankle Course 01/12/2025 - 03/12/2025 Read more 24th Oswestry Foot & Ankle Course Documents to download Foot-Ankle-Course-Flyer-2025(.pdf, 258.07 KB) - 4 download(s) Read more