Plantar Fascia Rupture

This gentleman suddenly felt a snap followed by sharp pain in the hindfoot (medial tubercle of calcaneus) while playing badminton. He could only place his weight on his forefoot and had to use a pair of crutches to walk.

He was diagnosed with a partially ruptured plantar aponeurosis and told to use a pair of running shoes with a silicone gel pad. However, he was not allowed to bear weight due to the severe pain. His X-rays did not indicate any signs of fracture of the calcaneus.

After vigourous RICE treatment over the next few days and the use of oral Cox-2 inhibitor, the pain reduced significantly and he was able to walk with less pain. He was treated with ultrasound for several sessions and started with toe and foot exercises. We encouraged him to go into the swimming pool for hydrotherapy to maintain his aerobic fitness. He would require at least another 2 to 4 weeks before he can return to training.