A new randomised sham-controlled trial has confirmed that radiotherapy significantly reduces pain and improves function in patients with painful Ledderhose disease (plantar fibromatosis). With surgery associated with high recurrence rates and limited alternatives available, this high-quality evidence positions radiotherapy as an effective, non-surgical treatment option that can meaningfully improve quality of life.
A new trial shows radiotherapy’s powerful effect in painful Ledderhose disease (plantar fibromatosis).
Ledderhose disease is also called Dupuytren’s of the feet. But the main issue is painful nodules that cause discomfort when you stand, walk or run. We know that surgery is a poor option for this condition as the nodules almost always come back and the trauma of surgery can make multiple new nodules appear.
Steroid injections may have a temporary effect if any. And there are no other proven treatments. But this paper is a real game-changer. Randomised trial of radiotherapy vs. sham radiotherapy
Yes – they pretended to give radiotherapy (that’s what they mean by “sham”). They even playing the sound of the machine so that patients and practitioners had no idea whether they were being treated or not!
And the results at 12 months (the primary outcome measure) were very clear.
A significant:
– Reduction in pain
– Increase in function
– Increase in quality of life
Radiotherapy is now proven to be effective with high-quality evidence
So if you have painful Ledderhose disease, come & see us in clinic and we’ll help you reduce the size and tenderness of the nodules and get you back to what you enjoy.
