Endoscopic Plantar Fasciotomy Improves Early Postoperative Results: A Retrospective Comparison of Outcomes After Endoscopic Versus Open Plantar Fasciotomy

Plantar fasciotomy is offered to patients with recalcitrant plantar fasciitis. Few studies have characterized the functional outcomes over time for the endoscopic approach compared with the open approach. We hypothesized that patients undergoing endoscopic surgery will have better postoperative functional outcomes early in the postoperative period but equivalent long-term outcomes compared with patients undergoing open surgery. We analyzed the prospectively collected data of all patients undergoing plantar fasciotomy at our institution from December 2007 to August 2014. A total of 42 feet of 38 patients were included in the analysis. The clinical data were collected preoperatively and at 3 and 6 months and 1 year. The functional outcomes analyzed included the American Orthopaedic Foot and Ankle Society Ankle-Hindfoot scale, the Medical Outcomes Study, Short-Form, 36-item Health Survey, and patient satisfaction and expectations. Patients undergoing endoscopic surgery had significantly greater American Orthopaedic Foot and Ankle Society Ankle-Hindfoot and SF-36 Health Survey scores and lower pain scores at the 3-month period. They were also significantly more likely to be satisfied with and have had their expectations met by surgery. Compared with the open approach, the patients who had undergone endoscopic plantar fasciotomy experienced significantly greater improvements in the subjective and objective functional outcomes, with less pain and greater satisfaction, and had had their expectations met earlier in the recovery period, with equivalent long-term outcomes, compared with the patients who had undergone open plantar fasciotomy.