The image shows a specialist type of scan called elastography. Elastography studies give a quick visual representation of how hard or soft tissue is. A healthy plantar fascia should be relatively hard (blue), however as the plantar fascia degenerates it becomes thickened and soft (green) or very soft (red). The image above is showing a distinct area of soft tissue within the plantar fascia (green) this is the focal point of this patient’s heel pain.
One of the main benefits of regenerative treatments such as Cryosurgery is that treatment seems to help the plantar fascia to recover to its former level of stiffness and return to healthy blue on imaging.