The plantar plate is a strong ligament on the bottom of the foot, a fibrous structure that starts at the metatarsal head and attaches to the proximal phalanx through the joint capsule within the forefoot.
Its job is to keeps the toes in place and stops them from over-extending or drifting. So it stabilizes the metatarsophalangeal joints (MTPJ) and is also is an attachment site for the plantar fascia.
Over the years many names have been used for plantar plate injuries and plantar plate tears including hammertoe, crossover toe deformity, metatarsophalangeal joint instability (also known as MPJ instability), metatarsalgia, predislocation syndrome, and more.
Dr. Bob Baravaria DPM, FACFAS is a Board-Certified Podiatric Foot and Ankle Specialist. He is an assistant clinical professor at the UCLA School of Medicine and serves as Director of University Foot and Ankle Institute.
Dr. Baravarian has been involved in athletics his entire life and played competitive tennis in high school and college. He has an interest in sports medicine, arthritis therapy, and trauma/reconstructive surgery of the foot and ankle. He is also fluent in five languages (English, French, Spanish, Farsi, and Hebrew),