Plantar fascia

Plantar fascia is the thick connective tissue which supports the arch of the foot. It runs from the tuberosity of the calcaneus forward to the heads of the metatarsal bones. It is the source of the painful condition plantar fasciitis. The plantar aponeurosis is the central part of the Plantar fascia.

Plantar fascia is a broad structure that spans between the medial calcaneal tubercle and the proximal phalanges of the toes.

Plantar fascia is made up of predominantly longitudinally oriented collagen fibers.

There are three distinct structural components: the medial component, the central component, and the lateral component.

In younger people the Plantar fascia is also intimately related to the Achilles tendon, with a continuous fascial connection between the two from the distal aspect of the Achilles to the origin of the Plantar fascia at the calcaneal tubercle. However, the continuity of this connection decreases with age to a point that in the elderly there are few, if any connecting fibers.

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