The plantar plate is a ligament within the joints at the base of the toes in the foot. A plantar plate tear occurs when we have a small tear in this ligament. In the past this problem could have been referred to as metatarsalgia, however that was a vague generic word for just about any pain within the foot related to the metatarsals. When more come to be understood in relation to the anatomy with the foot and the role of the structure in several painful conditions the words plantar plate dysfunction and plantar pate tear become better known to explain this disorder. The problem typically begins with mild pain beneath the metatarsal head in the foot that comes on gradually. Later it can also be rather painful to the touch. Sometimes, the toe might become elevated since the tear suggests that the ligament has trouble holding the toe down which is one of the functions of that plantar plate. An ultrasound examination are often used to verify the diagnosis.
The cause of this condition is just not apparent however it is related to too much use and overstretching of the ligament. Several foot types also seem to have this more often. The usual primary solution for a plantar plate tear is often taping to keep the toe down to reduce the stress on the ligament which has the tear. A metatarsal pad is often used as well or as opposed to the strapping to further ease strain on that plantar plate. Sometimes cushioning to offload the sore region will give a lot of comfort. In addition, a stiff soled shoe could be used to even more stop the toe from dorsiflexing could also be included with the aforementioned. Often, this approach has to be utilized for a minimum of several months to find out if it will help. Commonly, this works well in nearly all cases. However, when it does not help, then surgical solutions ought to be considered to fix the tear.