Economic burden of plantar fasciitis treatment in the United States

Abstract

Although plantar fasciitis (PF) is prevalent among adults in the United States, few studies have quantified the economic burden of this condition. In the present study, which was based on PF treatment patterns identified by Riddle and Schappert in 2004, we quantified the costs of treatment and explored the magnitude of the burden on third-party payers. Costs for these established treatment options were obtained from 2007 fee schedules and relative value units released by the Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services. These rates were used to determine a range of costs for treating PF. We projected that in 2007 the cost of treatment to third-party payers ranged from $192 to $376 million. Future studies may provide additional insight into treatment details and cost-effectiveness.