Morphological characteristics of the heel fat pad in the dominant and non-dominant feet under varying loads.
Masatomo Matsumoto, Toshihiro Maemichi, Mitsunari Wada and 7 others
PMID 40171176WHAT IT FOUND
In healthy Japanese adults, dominant and non-dominant heel fat pad thickness did not differ, and 1-month repeat scans were stable.
Thickness decreased mainly in the deep layer as load rose.
Key findings
01There were no significant differences between the dominant and non-dominant feet in the measured heel fat pad layers.
02Heel fat pad measurements taken after 1 month did not differ significantly from initial measurements for either foot under any load condition.
03Most of the load-related change in heel fat pad thickness occurred in the deep macrochamber layer, with only slight change in the superficial microchamber layer.
STILL TO COME
How it was doneWhat they foundWhat it means for PTs
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What it does not show
The study included only healthy Japanese adults, so it does not show what heel fat pad measurements mean in people with plantar heel pain. Only 32 adults were measured after 1 month, so the 1-month stability finding is based on measurements from that follow-up group. The actual load on the heel could not be measured during the load conditions. The study used 80% body weight rather than full single-leg load because full load was difficult and could risk falls. Results may not apply to other ethnic groups, children, or people with lower-limb disease. Different ultrasound devices may produce different values, and the authors recommend checking reproducibility if a different device is used. The study did not investigate how loaded heel fat pad thickness varies by age or sex.
Declared interests
None declared.
The easy way to misread this
Do not use these values as a diagnostic test for plantar heel pain. The study measured healthy adults only, did not include patients with heel pain, and did not measure the actual load on the heel.