The Los Angeles Clippers bowed out of the playoffs on Sunday without the availability of star forward Blake Griffin, who had been sidelined earlier in the series with a toe injury. Griffin underwent surgery a day later on his big toe to fix a plantar plate issue. Today, we take a look at the injury and the surgical process for plantar plate injuries.
Blake Griffin Toe Injury
Blake Griffin originally suffered the toe injury in Game 3 of the first round series, and he was immediately diagnosed with a plantar plate injury and ruled out for the remainder of the playoffs. But what exactly is a plantar plate injury?
Your plantar plate is the strong supporting ligament of the toes, located on the ball of your foot. Your plantar plate is a little different than normal ligaments because it is thicker, which is necessary to provide stability for the toes. Oftentimes injuries to the plantar plate affect the toe next to your big toe, but Griffin’s injury affected his big toe.
Plantar plate injuries can either be acute or chronic injuries, meaning they either develop directly from trauma or they develop over a great deal of time. Griffin’s plantar plate injury was an acute injury, although there’s a chance the ligament had already suffered some damage before the Game 3 injury.
Symptoms of a plantar plate injury include:
- A tearing sensation in the affected toe
- A feeling of dislocation and then popping back in place
- Bruising/Discoloration
- A bend in the toe joint
- Toe pain
Diagnosis and Treatment of Plantar Plate Injuries
Left untreated, plantar plate injuries can lead to increased pain, toe disfigurement and the development of hammer toes, so make sure you visit a foot specialist if you experience any of the symptoms. A diagnosis of a plantar plate injury will begin with a physical exam of the foot and toe stability tests. X-rays are not very useful, but they may be used to rule out a fracture. More commonly, an MRI is used to view the ligament and look for any minor or major tears.
Once diagnosed, your foot surgeon will walk you through your non-surgical and surgical options. If you’re suffering from an acute plantar plate injury, you may be able to get by with conservative care that includes rest, casting, crutches and/or toe taping regimens for 6-8 weeks. During this time, you’ll also likely be given anti-inflammatory medications and assigned rehab or physical therapy once healing has progressed.
Depending on the severity of the injury, the conjecture of the foot and the likelihood that it will heal with conservative care, surgery may be your best bet. Surgery involves sewing the ligament back in the proper position, and bone anchors may be used if the plantar plate is removed from the bone. Recovery after surgery typically takes 4-8 weeks, but it may take longer to return to full sporting activities.
Essentially, this operation will not slow Griffin down this offseason, and he should be able to be fully healthy well before next season begins. Considering he can opt out of his contract if he wishes and become a free agent, he’ll want to stick to his rehab and ensure all goes as planned. Here’s hoping he can stay healthy in the future.