The plantar plate is a ligament beneath the joints at the base of the toes in the feet. A plantar plate tear happens when we have a tiny tear of this ligament. In the past this problem might have been named metatarsalgia, however that is a rather generic name for any pain in the foot related to the metatarsals. As more become known about the anatomy with the forefoot and the role of the anatomy in several painful disorders the terms plantar plate dysfunction and plantar pate tear become better understood to refer to treatment plans. The disorder commonly begins with mild pain beneath the metatarsal head in the foot which comes on slowly. Later it is usually very painful when pressed on. Occasionally, the toe might become elevated because the tear suggests that the ligament has difficulty holding the toe down that is one of the functions of that ligament. An ultrasound assessment are often used to establish the diagnosis and determine the extent of the plantar plate tear.
The reason behind this problem is not really clear however it relates to excessive use and overstretching of the plantar plate. Some foot types also appear to get this more often. The typical first treatment for a plantar plate tear is commonly strapping to hold the toe plantarflexed to minimize the strain on the plantar plate which has the tear. A metatarsal pad is frequently utilized as well or instead of the strapping to help decrease stress on that plantar plate. Sometimes cushioning to offload the painful location can provide lots of relief. Additionally, a inflexible soled shoe could be used to even more prevent the toe from dorsiflexing may also be combined with the aforementioned. Often, this treatment really needs to be used for at least a couple of months to find out if it can help. Usually, this is beneficial in almost all cases. Nevertheless, if this does not help, then surgical solutions need to be considered to fix the tear.