ACR (Radiology) Chronic Foot Pain Guideline Summary

Design and created by Guideline Central in participation with the American College of Radiology.

Document Overview

Source Citation: Expert Panel on Musculoskeletal Imaging; Said N, Fox MG, Nacey NC, Aslam F, Avery R, Blankenbaker DG, French CN, Frick MA, Hall KR, Lowry MK, Patel KA, Stensby JD, Walker EA, Wessell DE. ACR Appropriateness Criteria® Chronic Foot Pain: Update 2025. J Am Coll Radiol. 2026 Apr;23(4):681-699. doi: 10.1016/j.jacr.2026.01.012. Epub 2026 Feb 17. PMID: 41701128.

Document Objectives: Chronic foot pain is a common clinical issue that can greatly affect an individual's quality of life. This document defines best practices for ordering imaging studies based on specific clinical scenarios, which are categorized into different variants. Each variant includes a brief description of the usefulness, advantages, and limitations of various imaging modalities. This document is the result of a comprehensive analysis of the available literature and a thorough review of best imaging practices for each clinical scenario. The American College of Radiology Appropriateness Criteria are evidence-based guidelines for specific clinical conditions that are reviewed annually by a multidisciplinary expert panel. The guideline development and revision process support the systematic analysis of the medical literature from peer reviewed journals. Established methodology principles such as Grading of Recommendations Assessment, Development, and Evaluation or GRADE are adapted to evaluate the evidence. The RAND/UCLA Appropriateness Method User Manual provides the methodology to determine the appropriateness of imaging and treatment procedures for specific clinical scenarios. In those instances where peer reviewed literature is lacking or equivocal, experts may be the primary evidentiary source available to formulate a recommendation.

Intended Users: Nurse, Nurse Practitioner, Physician, Physician Assistant, Radiology Technologist