Clinical Research Directory

F-18 Sodium Fluoride PET/CT-Guided Pain Palliation in Chronic Plantar Fasciitis: A Comparative Study of ¹⁷⁷Lutetium-Corticosteroid-Local Anaesthetic Injection vs Corticosteroid-Local Anaesthetic Injection

Study type: Prospective, randomized, comparative pilot clinical study. Purpose of the study: The goal of this study is to evaluate whether adding low-dose, F-18 sodium fluoride (NaF) PET/CT-guided intralesional Lutetium-177 therapy to corticosteroid and local anaesthetic injection provides better pain relief and functional improvement than PET/CT-guided corticosteroid and local anaesthetic injection alone in patients with chronic plantar fasciitis who have not responded to conservative treatment for more than six months. Participant population: Adults aged 18-80 years with chronic plantar fasciitis lasting more than six months, failure of conservative treatment, a baseline visual analogue scale (VAS) pain score of ≥4, and focal uptake at the plantar fascia insertion on F-18 NaF PET/CT. The study plans to recruit 40 participants, with 20 participants in each group. Primary Outcomes: 1\. Improvement in foot-specific pain and function, assessed by the change in the Manchester-Oxford Foot Questionnaire (MOXFQ) score, and health-related quality of life, assessed by the SF-12 questionnaire, from baseline to three months. Secondary outcomes : 1. Change in pain intensity measured by VAS (0-10). 2. Change in osteoblastic activity measured by SUVmax on F-18 NaF PET/CT, 3. Safety and tolerability at three and six months Comparison groups: Group A (intervention): F-18 NaF PET/CT-guided injection of Lutetium-177 (37-74 MBq; 1-2 mCi) combined with corticosteroid (30 mg) and local anaesthetic. Group B (comparison): F-18 NaF PET/CT-guided injection of corticosteroid (30 mg) and local anaesthetic.

Inferior Calcaneal Nerve Radiofrequency Ablation for Chronic Heel Pain

This prospective single-arm pilot interventional study aims to evaluate the effectiveness of ultrasound-guided radiofrequency ablation of the inferior calcaneal nerve in patients with chronic heel pain refractory to conservative treatments. Patients with plantar fasciitis or calcaneal spur who have not responded to multiple treatment modalities, including exercise, nonsteroidal anti-inflammatory drugs, orthotics, extracorporeal shockwave therapy, and corticosteroid injections, will be included. The procedure will be performed under ultrasound guidance. Pain intensity, functional status, and patient satisfaction will be assessed at baseline and at 1 and 3 months after the intervention.The primary outcome is treatment success, defined as a ≥50% reduction in morning pain intensity on the Numeric Rating Scale at 1 month compared to baseline.

Pulsed Radiofrequency Versus 5% Dextrose Injection in Chronic Plantar Fasciitis

This prospective, two-center, randomized controlled clinical trial aims to compare the effectiveness of ultrasound-guided pulsed radiofrequency and 5% dextrose injection in patients with chronic plantar fasciitis. Eligible participants will be randomized into two parallel groups. One group will receive ultrasound-guided pulsed radiofrequency treatment, and the other group will receive ultrasound-guided 5% dextrose injection using the peppering technique. All participants will receive a home-based plantar fascia stretching exercise program. Outcomes will be assessed at baseline, 3 weeks, 6 weeks, and 12 weeks after treatment. The primary outcome will be pain intensity measured by the Numeric Rating Scale. Secondary outcomes will include foot function, activity-related pain, ankle-hindfoot function, and health-related quality of life.