plantar fascia

Imaging of

plantar fascia disorders: findings on plain radiography, ultrasound and magnetic resonance imaging. Normal plantar fascia. A schematic representation (a) and lateral plain radiograph (b) show the normal PF (arrows). On sagittal ultrasound scan, the normal PF (arrows) appears as a fibrillar ligamentous structure (c). On MRI, the normal PF (arrows) is seen as a thin band of low signal intensity on both T1-weighted (d) and fluid-sensitive (e) images

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The plantar fascia or plantar aponeurosis is a dense collection of collagen fibers on the sole (plantar surface) of the foot. These fibers are mostly longitudinal but also transverse.

Attachments

Posteriorly it attaches to the medial process of the tuberosity of the calcaneus, proximal to flexor digitorum brevis. It is narrow and thick at this attachment and becomes more broad and thin distally and anteriorly.

Anteriorly it divides into five heads, one for each toe, just proximal to the heads of the metatarsals. The superficial layers of these fibers insert into the dermis at the ball of the foot and the crease between the ball and the toes via the retinacula cutis (skin ligaments). The deep layers of each digit become septa that separate the digital flexor tendons from the lumbricals and the digital vessels and nerves.

Laterally it covers abductor digiti minimi.

Medially it covers abductor hallucis and merges with the flexor retinaculum and dorsalis paedis fascia.