Plantar Fascia Segmentation and Thickness Estimation in Ultrasound Images

The plantar fascia (PF) or plantar aponeurosis is an aponeurotic thick, fibrous and strong connective tissue that provides stability to the medial longitudinal arch of the foot (Huang et al., 1993). It originates at the medial calcaneal tuberosity and extends toward the digits in three different structural bands: medial, central, and lateral (Chang, 2010) (Fig. 1). The central area is the largest, most affected by disease and most susceptible to deformities (Kwong et al., 1988; Kelikian, 2012). The PF plays an important role in stabilizing the foot during walking and running.

Source: Computerized Medical Imaging and Graphics - February 16, 2017 Category: Radiology Authors: Abdelhafid Boussouar, Farid Meziane, Gillian Crofts Source Type: research