The plantar plates are thickened ligaments found at the balls of feet. An injury or tear to the plantar plate can affect the stability of a toe, this can cause pain and develop issues such as a hammertoe. This most commonly affects the second toes.
There are two forms of plantar plate injury:
Chronic injury – where the injury develops slowly over time caused by micro-tears that stretch the ligament.
Acute injury- where the injury tends to develop following a sudden upwards movement of a toe.
If you experience pain in your toe, ball of the foot or the toe starts to float from the ground then the first step would be to arrange an appointment with your foot specialist.
Treatments may include:
Strapping or a Splint
Your specialist may advise on strapping the toe or provide you with a splint. This will keep your toe aligned and allow the injury to heal.
Immobilisation
Your specialist may advise on immobilisation with the use or a cast or air cast boot and crutches. This again will allow the toe to heal.
Surgical Options
If the injury is not caught soon enough then surgery may be suggested if pain persists. Please click here to find out more.
