• The United States leads in plantar fasciitis research output, with Harvard University as the top institution and Landorf KB as the most prolific author.
• Treatment research hotspots include extracorporeal shock wave therapy, platelet-rich plasma, and corticosteroid injections, with ongoing debates on long-term efficacy and standardization.
• Shear wave elastography is emerging as a key diagnostic tool, with a need for more objective and quantitative diagnostic criteria.
• Biomechanical research is expanding to understand the lower limb force transmission chain and its role in plantar fasciitis pathogenesis.