Plantar fasciitis surgery generally describes cutting into the plantar fascia, or the tissue affected by the condition, in order to relieve tension and promote healing.
“The original theory of plantar fascia surgery was to take a piece of plantar fascia out and stimulate a healthy healing response to get a normal plantar fascia,” says Lance M. Silverman, MD, an orthopedic surgeon at Silverman Foot and Ankle in Atlanta. Depending on their training and the patient’s needs, providers may prefer different techniques.
Plantar Fasciotomy (or Plantar Fascia Release) Surgery
One type of surgery for plantar fasciitis is plantar fasciotomy or plantar fascia release surgery. This involves snipping part of the plantar fascia to release tension and reduce inflammation. “It’s important that you don’t release the entire plantar fascia,” says Kevin Schafer, MD, an assistant professor in the department of orthopedic surgery at NYU Grossman School of Medicine. “If you do, the arch sags and collapses and you overload the outside of your foot, and there’s really no solution for that.”
The outpatient procedure can involve numbing the leg and foot below the knee, as well as the choice between general anesthesia and induction into a sort of “twilight” state, Silverman says. While surgeons vary in the specifics of their technique, Silverman typically makes a small incision on the inside of the heel and cuts a centimeter by centimeter section of plantar fascia. Often, he works to release a nerve or nerves trapped by the scar tissue built up in the plantar fascia, too.
Endoscopic Plantar Fascia Release Surgery
Heel Spur Surgery
Sometimes, when surgeons are operating, they’ll find and remove a heel spur, or a bony growth that likely resulted from the strain on the foot’s ligaments. That’s why plantar fasciitis can also be called “heel spur syndrome,” says Ravi Kamble, a doctor of podiatric medicine in private practice in Staten Island, New York. “It’s a myth that the heel spur is actually causing the pain: It’s a result of the [plantar fasciitis] condition, not the cause of the condition.”