What is a plantar plate?

A plantar plate — we have one per toe — is a piece of cartilage that helps keep toes from bending too far when the foot pushes off or changes direction. It is part of a web of ligaments that link toe bones and hold the ball of the foot together. Read the article.

Sources: Atlas of Human Anatomy, NIH, American Academy of Orthopaedic Surgeons. Bonnie Berkowitz and James Smallwood/The Washington Post. Published on November 15, 2012, 9:35 p.m.

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