To determine whether patients with leprosy have enthesopathy at the calcaneus of plantar fascia.
In a radiographic study of over 3 years, we investigated the presence and location of enthesophytes in patients with leprosy compared to healthy age and sex matched controls with no evidence of bone or joint disease.
Calcaneus enthesopathy occurred significantly more frequently in patients with leprosy than in controls, but no difference in the location of enthesophytes was found between the 2 groups. Calcaneus spurs were detected more frequently in lepromatous patients than in tuberculoid patients.
Enthesitis is a manifestation of leprosy and may be more common in lepromatous than in tuberculoid patients.