Local ozone (O(2)–O(3)) versus corticosteroid injection efficacy in plantar fasciitis treatment: a double-blinded RCT

PURPOSE: To compare the efficacy of local ozone injection versus corticosteroid in plantar fasciopathy treatment. PATIENTS AND METHODS: This double-blinded randomized trial was performed on 44 adult patients with plantar fasciopathy. One group (23 patients) received local injection of 40 mg methylprednisolone, while a local injection of 3 cc oxygen-ozone solution was performed for the other group (21 subjects). Severity of pain, functional level, and pressure-pain threshold (PPT) were measured before treatment and 1, 4, and 12 weeks after injection using VAS, Foot and Ankle Ability Measure (FAAM) questionnaire, and algometer for PPT, respectively. RESULTS: The majority (65.9%) of the total 44 patients analyzed, were women. Both treatments efficiently relieved patients' pain and improved their functions at 1 and 3 months follow-up time-points. But one week after injection, the improvement in VAS (p<0.001) and FAAM (p<0.001) was significant only in the corticosteroid group. During the first month, VAS (p=0.35) and PPT (p=0.003) were still better in the corticosteroid group. However, FAAM revealed no remarkable difference between the two groups (p=0.083). Eventually, at the third month of follow-up, there was no remarkable preference between the treatments regarding any of the outcome measures (p>0.05). Nevertheless, both methods efficiently improved patients' symptoms, ie, over the 50% of pain reduction and 30% improvement in functional status. CONCLUSION: The present results showed no remarkable superiority between the two groups. In other words, although ozone injection showed a slower efficacy than methylprednisolone, it could be used in plantar fasciitis management as an appropriate alternative.