Radiofrequency Nerve Ablation for Management of Pain in Plantar Fasciitis, a Systematic Review and Meta-analysis

Monday, April 13, 2026

3:36 PM - 3:45 PM ET

Location: 714B

Presenting Author(s)

Nima Hamidi, DO (he/him/his)

Resident Physician
Case Western Reserve University | MetroHealth Medical Center, Ohio, United States

Author/Co-author(s)

JA

Jeffery Asubeng-Poku, DO, DO

Resident Physician
Case Western Reserve University | MetroHealth Medical Center, Ohio, United States
NK

Nazanin Kermanshahi, DO, DO

Research Fellow
Rothman Orthopaedics at Jefferson Health, Pennsylvania, United States
FF

Frank Fofie, M.D.

Resident
Cleveland Clinic Vascular and Interventional Radiology, Ohio, United States

Purpose: Radiofrequency ablation uses heat from a medium-frequency alternating current to destroy tissue, such as a tumor or sensory nerves {1}. The capacity to ablate sensory nerves has unlocked a powerful new paradigm for achieving immediate and sustained pain relief {2-4}. A notable application of this technique is the management of plantar fasciitis (PF), a degenerative disease and the leading cause of heel pain {5}. This systematic review aims to assess the outcomes of radiofrequency nerve ablation (RFNA) for the management of pain associated with PF. To our knowledge a systematic review of the literature has not been previously completed on this topic.

Materials and Methods: This systematic review was conducted in accordance with the Preferred Reporting Items for Systematic Reviews and Meta-Analyses (PRISMA) guidelines {6}. A systematic search was performed across Medline (via PubMed), Web of Science, and Embase. Following the search, all identified studies were imported into Rayyan for blinded, dual-independent screening and full-text review. Studies were included if they reported pre- and post-procedure pain scores and involved a minimum of 10 adult patients (age > 18). Secondary outcomes of interest included the American Orthopaedic Foot and Ankle Society's Ankle-Hindfoot (AOFAS) Score, targeted nerves, and complications. A fixed-effects inverse variance model was used to calculate the pooled mean difference in pre- and 1-month post-procedure pain scores using RStudio. A forest plot was generated for visual representation of the results.

Results: Eight studies (486 patients, 642 feet) met the inclusion criteria. All studies reported pain using Visual Analogue Scale (VAS) scores and showed a statistically significant reduction in pain scores at the initial one-month follow-up (range 1 to 24 months). The pooled meta-analysis demonstrated a mean difference in VAS scores of 6.89 (95% CI: 5.79 to 7.99). Furthermore, all studies reported no statistically significant change in VAS scores between the first post-procedure follow-up and the final follow-up. The medial calcaneal nerve and the first branch of the lateral plantar nerve were the most commonly reported targets of the therapy.

Conclusion: Radiofrequency nerve ablation (RFA) is a safe and effective treatment for chronic plantar fasciitis pain. The lack of a statistical difference in pain scores between the 1-month and final follow-up demonstrates the procedure's enduring effectiveness in managing pain.