Utilization Review Checklist
Plantar Heel Pain (Plantar Fasciitis)
Derived from the ACOEM Ankle and Foot Disorders Guideline, edition 29 January 2026, as adopted into the California MTUS 1 August 2026. CPT 28060, 28062, 28008. ICD-10 M72.2.
Draft — not reviewed or approved by COA. Prepared by Rette from the ACOEM guideline named above. This is not a COA document and does not reproduce COA’s own checklists.
CriteriaCheck if documented
Confirmatory Diagnosis
Required
Moderate to severe chronic plantar fasciitis
“Moderate to severe chronic plantar fasciitis patients who have failed multiple non-surgical treatments and whose condition has lasted at least 6 to 12 months.” — p. 305
Conservative Care
All of the following
Condition lasting at least 6 to 12 months — at least 6 months
“whose condition has lasted at least 6 to 12 months.” — p. 305
AND
Failed multiple non-surgical treatments, generally including NSAIDs, plantar fascia stretching and injection(s)
“Patients should generally have failed NSAID(s), plantar fascia stretching, injection(s) and failed or refused other more conservative treatment.” — p. 305
AND
Pre-operative education regarding expected outcomes
“Patients should receive pre-operative education regarding expected outcomes.” — p. 305
Procedures — the guideline treats each separately
Surgical release for select chronic recalcitrant plantar fasciitis
Recommended. Surgical release is recommended for select patients with moderate to severe chronic recalcitrant plantar fasciitis who have failed multiple non-surgical treatments and whose condition has lasted at least 6 to 12 months.
Strength of Evidence — Recommended, Insufficient Evidence (I) · confidence low · p. 305
Indications — required:
Release requested for chronic recalcitrant disease, procedure type unrestricted
“There is no recommendation for any particular procedure or method over another.” — p. 305
The one supported operation here, and the guideline is unusually frank about it: complete pain relief is reported in roughly half of patients, and workers' compensation patients reportedly fare WORSE on satisfaction and lost time than non-compensation patients. It requires pre-operative education about expected outcomes — document that conversation, because the guideline names it in the recommendation itself. There is no recommendation for or against open versus endoscopic, or for adjunct spur excision or neurolysis, so technique is not a ground for denial.
Surgical release for acute or subacute plantar fasciitis
Not Recommended. Surgical release is not recommended for treatment of acute or subacute plantar fasciitis.
Strength of Evidence — Not Recommended, Insufficient Evidence (I) · confidence high · p. 304
Indications — required:
Surgical release for acute or subacute plantar fasciitis requested
“Surgical release is not recommended for treatment of acute or subacute plantar fasciitis.” — p. 304
Not recommended, at HIGH confidence — the strongest negative finding in this section. The guideline will not support release at this stage however the note is written. The supported route is to continue non-operative care until the condition has lasted at least 6 to 12 months and multiple non-surgical treatments have failed, then request release for chronic recalcitrant disease.
Cryosurgery for acute or subacute plantar heel pain
Not Recommended. Cryosurgery is not recommended for treatment of acute or subacute plantar heel pain.
Strength of Evidence — Not Recommended, Insufficient Evidence (I) · confidence low · p. 306
Indications — required:
Cryosurgery for acute or subacute plantar heel pain requested
“Cryosurgery is not recommended for treatment of acute or subacute plantar heel pain.” — p. 306
Not recommended for acute or subacute heel pain. Note that cryosurgery for CHRONIC heel pain is a separate recommendation carrying No Recommendation rather than a negative one — the stage of the condition changes the answer.
Cryosurgery for chronic plantar heel pain
No Recommendation. There is no recommendation for or against the use of cryosurgery for treatment of chronic plantar heel pain.
Strength of Evidence — No Recommendation, Insufficient Evidence (I) · confidence low · p. 307
Indications — required:
Cryosurgery for chronic plantar heel pain requested
“There is no recommendation for or against the use of cryosurgery for treatment of chronic plantar heel pain.” — p. 307
ACOEM gives no recommendation for or against cryosurgery in chronic heel pain — there are no quality trials. That is neutrality, not refusal. Surgical release for chronic recalcitrant fasciitis IS recommended, so consider whether that is the procedure you want.
Percutaneous calcaneus fenestration for chronic plantar heel pain
No Recommendation. There is no recommendation for or against the use of percutaneous calcaneus fenestration for treatment of chronic plantar heel pain.
Strength of Evidence — No Recommendation, Insufficient Evidence (I) · confidence low · p. 307
Indications — required:
Percutaneous calcaneus fenestration for chronic plantar heel pain requested
“There is no recommendation for or against the use of percutaneous calcaneus fenestration for treatment of chronic plantar heel pain.” — p. 307
No recommendation for or against. There is nothing in the guideline to cite in its favour, and surgical release for chronic recalcitrant fasciitis is the option that does carry one.
Radiofrequency microtenotomy for chronic plantar fasciitis
No Recommendation. There is no recommendation for or against the use of radiofrequency microtenotomy for treatment of chronic plantar fasciitis.
Strength of Evidence — No Recommendation, Insufficient Evidence (I) · confidence low · p. 307
Indications — required:
Radiofrequency microtenotomy for chronic plantar fasciitis requested
“There is no recommendation for or against the use of radiofrequency microtenotomy for treatment of chronic plantar fasciitis.” — p. 307
No recommendation for or against. As with the other neutral options in this section, surgical release for chronic recalcitrant fasciitis is the procedure with a recommendation behind it.