Foot pain – plantar pathology. Diagnosis and therapeutic solutions

Abstract

The plantar vault has a very important role in maintaing the functional integrity of any person, having a great impact both in the still life of the human body and also in the walking dynamics. Although the plantar pathology is being treated in an interdisciplinary context, with a very important functional component, the subject remains in the medical field a subevalueted and partial treated theme. We have frequently pacients with foot pain. The international medical literature shows that the painful foot always should be evaluated in an interdisciplinary context. Beyond all the therapeutical decisions must be the interdisciplinary dialogue between the orthopaedist, rheumatologist, the specialist in metabolic diseases, cardiologist and the rehabilitation specialist. The therapeutical solutions do not involve only the pharmaceutical and surgical therapy. Thus, it’s rising the need of setting the positive diagnosis and setting the differential diagnosis. The performed anamnesis will contain all the aspects of the pacient, medical history, both personal and family medical history and various particular situations. Performing the clinical exam is a critical stage for establishing the diagnostic stage, but a partial one because we also need a biological evaluation, also metabolism evaluation and some functional parameters. Paraclinical examination (such as: radiograph, ultrasound, thermography, IRM, podobarometry and other laboratory examinations) help us establish the correct clinical and functional diagnosis. The high incidence of this pathology also is associated with numerous flare-ups. The differential diagnosis is made between dysmetabolic conditions, mechanical, inflammatory and posttraumatic conditions, both repeated micro-traumatisms and also secondary of specific trauma.

Keywords

• foot pain
• functional evaluation
• rheumatoid arthritis
• thalus pain
• calcaneal osteophytosis
• diabetic neuropathy