Why heel spurs are traction spurs after all.

It is unclear whether plantar and posterior heel spurs are truly pathological findings and whether they are stimulated by traction or compression forces. Previous histological investigations focused on either one of the two spur locations, thereby potentially overlooking common features that refer to a uniform developmental mechanism. In this study, 19 feet from 16 cadavers were X-ray scanned to preselect calcanei with either plantar or posterior spurs.