Definition
The plantar fascia, or plantar aponeurosis, is located on the sole of the foot and extends from the tuber calcanei on the heel bone to the ends of the metatarsal bones, Ossa metatarsalia. It is a strong connective tissue plate directly under the skin, which is fundamentally involved in building and maintaining the longitudinal arch of the foot. It prevents the bony arch of the foot from touching the ground evenly under the weight of the body and under load and is therefore exposed to the strongest forces.
Symptoms
Various factors lead to irritation of the plantar fascia and eventually to inflammation of the same. Especially the attachment site on the tuber calcanei is affected by the load and the inflammation. As a result, the sole of the foot, especially the heel, is painful, which is why the inflammation is perceived by those affected.
The inflammation of the plantar fascia usually has a simple explanation, namely chronic overload. This overstraining of the tendon can in turn be caused in various ways. Especially sports where there is a lot of pressure on the plantar fascia or the foot is bent or stretched to a high degree are affected.
Cycling, running or ballet play a major role here. However, occupational stress due to prolonged standing or a similar stress pattern also exerts a high pull on the plantar fascia. The resulting forces, which are very high on the one hand and repetitive on the other, are distributed over the relatively small plantar tendon and the punctual points of attachment to the bone.
It is important to remember that the heel and exactly the point where the plantar fascia is attached must bear most of the body weight. With regular overloading, the tissue of the plantar fascia is not able to regenerate sufficiently and allow injuries, such as small tears that may occur during loading, to heal. This irritates the tendon and leads to the development of inflammation.
Irritation can also be caused by improper footwear that does not sufficiently support the longitudinal arch of the foot or causes pressure points on the sole of the foot, thus putting additional strain on the plantar fascia. Sometimes the heel spur, a bony projection on the heel bone, is erroneously counted among the causes of inflammation of the plantar tendon. However, this spur develops in the course of an inflammation and may aggravate the symptoms or bring them to light at first, but it cannot trigger the inflammation.
