THE NEXT WAVE: FRESH INSIGHTS, EMERGING PRACTICES ISSUE
NEW VOICES
Danni Macklin, AFASA, QLD
Allison Mander, QLD
Baxter’s nerve entrapment is often an underappreciated cause of plantar heel pain. How do you differentiate heel pain due to plantar fasciitis from pain due to Baxter’s nerve entrapment?
You’re bringing ‘Endometriosis KISS’ (Keep It Simple Sonographers) to ASA2026. What prompted you to put your hand up to present this topic now, and why does it feel timely for the profession?
A sharp burning heel pain that worsens as the day progresses with increased activity should alert sonographers to consider a Baxter’s nerve entrapment.
We’re at a real inflection point in how endometriosis is understood, imaged and managed and sonographers are central to that shift. Sonographers are no longer on the periphery of endometriosis care; we are at the centre of a clinically relevant, evidence-based and publicly recognised change. There’s now consensus guidance, national funding support, and a motivated community demanding better imaging, which makes this the right time to elevate our skills, standardise our practice, and ensure we deliver care when patients need it most.
Does MRI outperform ultrasound for diagnosing Baxter’s nerve entrapment? The short answer is no. MR imaging can be used to image the plantar foot muscles, including those innervated by Baxter’s nerve, but cannot consistently demonstrate the complete path of the nerve. MR imaging also cannot quantify the level of sensory disturbance and pain experienced by the patient, nor can it provide dynamic imaging that can be seen with ultrasound.
If delegates should add just one extra step to their protocol after your talk, what should it be? I would definitely say to look at the abductor digiti minimi muscle on all plantar fascia examinations. It’s quick and easy to assess and can provide information about atrophy, which may be due to denervation.
As one of our New Voice presenters, what inspired you to bring Baxter’s nerve entrapment to the conference stage? I explored Baxter’s nerve entrapment during my master’s research alongside my co-presenter, and we found it to be a particularly interesting and clinically relevant topic. It’s a condition that isn’t always at the forefront of many referring clinicians’ minds when assessing heel pain. Through this presentation, I’m hoping to increase sonographer awareness and highlight practical ways we can better recognise and assess this often-underappreciated cause of heel pain.
Is there anything that’s felt particularly daunting? How are you managing that? Presenting for the first time is definitely a little daunting, particularly because I want to do the topic justice and deliver something valuable for delegates. That said, I have been very fortunate to have an incredible mentor and supportive team around me who are there to provide guidance. I also keep reminding myself that everyone has to start somewhere, and that perspective has made it feel much more manageable. SESSION FRIDAY 1:30 pm – 2:20 pm
8
PRESENTATION
Plantar hindfoot muscles: A signpost for Baxter’s nerve entrapment
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Endometriosis imaging can feel complex and intimidating for many sonographers. What’s one misconception you’re hoping to challenge through your session? One big misconception I’m really hoping to challenge is the mentality that endometriosis imaging must be highly complex or ‘all or nothing’. Our role isn’t to be perfect. Stick to the four Cs – be Curious, Consistent in your scanning approach, Clear in your reporting and ask yourself if it’s Clinically useful or relevant. Recognising red flags or documenting a ‘negative’ but wellperformed examination can genuinely change a patient’s diagnostic pathway and validate the patient’s experience.
As a New Voice at ASA2026, what perspective do you think you bring that’s different from how this topic has traditionally been discussed? Conferences are fantastic for bringing together experts delivering novel research and sharing their experience through an expert lens. As a New Voice, I would like to bring a ground-level sonographer-centric perspective, focused less on mastery and more on accessibility. What I bring is the perspective of someone working within the real constraints of routine practice – time pressure, mixed referral quality, variable patient preparation, and differing levels of experience across departments. I’m also approaching this topic at a moment when our profession is being asked to ‘step up’ with new consensus guidance, new funding structures, and greater public scrutiny. As a New Voice, I see my role as helping bridge that gap between emerging evidence and everyday scanning, translating complex concepts into practical habits that build confidence rather than fear.
What’s one practical insight you hope delegates walk away with after your session? You don’t need to change everything about how you scan – you