Case Study of a Dancer Whose Prolonged Hallux Pain was Improved by an Iritani-Method Plantar Plate

Abstract

[Purpose] The present paper reports the results of placing an Iritani-method plantar plate in the tabi of a dancer suffering prolonged hallux pain after surgery. [Participant and Methods] A female patient in her 50s had metatarsophalangeal joint pain in the right hallux when crouching for more than one and a half years after surgery for Lisfranc arthrodesis. The Numerical Rating Scale (NRS), Brief Pain Inventory (BPI), crouching motion, Self-administered Foot Evaluation Questionnaire (SAFE-Q), Pain Catastrophizing Scale (PCS), and Hospital Anxiety and Depression Scale (HADS) were evaluated before and after the plantar plate prescription. [Results] NRS, BPI, crouching behavior, and SAFE-Q improved while PCS and HADS improved slightly. [Conclusion] Placing an Iritani-method plantar plate in the dancer’s tabi was effective, and we consider it is useful for improving foot symptoms in activities that do not use shoes such as dance.