What is a plantar plate tear?

A plantar plate tear is a relatively prevalent problem which causes pain plantar to the ball of the foot. It is considered the end phase of a strain on the ligament beneath the joint which advances to a tear if there is no treatment used. The main cause of this disorder is simply too much use. In the event that ligament beneath the joint get used an excessive amount with high activity levels, it may at first come to be painful after which progress to a tear. The signs and symptoms are generally under and in front of the metatarsal head underneath the ball of the foot. The symptoms are worsened with higher amounts of exercise.

A sensible way to take care of a plantar plate tear is to apply taping to plantarflex the toe in a plantarflexed placement so the load is removed from the ligament which is given a chance to heal. It is often a bit bothersome to keep strapping the foot everyday which could take several months to fully recover. For this reason, there are a number of unique kinds of splints that you can use. They might be not really as beneficial as the strapping, but they could be more than effective if strapping may be used during the early stages. This may need to be kept up for a few months to obtain a good outcome. Insoles in the shoes with metatarsal domes may also be used to help secure the toe plantarflexed. If weightbearing is uncomfortable, then pads on the insole may be used to maintain weight of the painful place and at least that can make it tolerable while healing is taking place. In most cases this can help. In some cases some anti-inflammatory medicines and also the use of ice may be needed when it gets too painful may be required. When this approach doesn't work, then surgical interventions needs to be considered to mend the tear, but a majority of cases of a plantar plate tear do heal on their own.