Anatom3DPlantar metatarsophalangeal ligaments
Ligamenta plantaria articulationum metatarsophalangearum · Chodidlové metatarzofalangeální vazy
Joints & cartilage
Looks like
Thick fibrocartilage plates (plantar plates) under the ball-of-the-foot joints.
What it does
Stop the toes bending too far upward and cushion the ball of the foot.
Keeping it well
Tears cause pain under the second toe and a toe that drifts up (crossover toe); common with bunions. Turf toe is the big-toe version.
Related conditions
- Buerger's disease (thromboangiitis obliterans)
- Chronic venous insufficiency
- Clubfoot (talipes equinovarus)
- Flat feet (pes planus)
- Ganglion cyst
- Gout
- Haemophilia & bleeding disorders
- Hammer toe and claw toe
- Lyme disease
- Lymphatic filariasis (elephantiasis)
- Lymphoedema
- Marfan syndrome & connective tissue disorders
- Morton's neuroma
- Osteoarthritis
- Psoriatic arthritis
- Restless legs syndrome
- Rheumatic fever & rheumatic heart disease
- Rheumatoid arthritis
- Systemic lupus erythematosus
- Temporomandibular joint disorder
- Varicose veins
- Venomous snakebite