What Is a Plantar Fibroma?
A plantar fibroma is a firm nodule that forms in the plantar fascia, the thick band of tissue running along the arch of the foot. It is not cancer. It grows slowly, sits deep in the arch rather than on the surface, and is usually fixed in place rather than moving under the skin.
Many people notice the lump before they notice any pain. Discomfort tends to arrive later, as the nodule presses against the ground or against the inside of a shoe. Standing on hard floors, walking barefoot, and flat or thin-soled shoes usually make it worse.
How We Tell It From Something Else
Arch pain has several causes, and a lump in the arch narrows the list without settling it. Plantar fasciitis, a ganglion cyst and a plantar fibroma can each present as arch discomfort, and they are treated differently.
Your visit starts with an examination and imaging to confirm what the nodule is, how deep it sits, and whether it is actually the source of your pain. Getting that right first is what prevents treating the wrong thing.
Plantar Fibroma Treatment Options
Conservative care comes first for most patients. Custom orthotics with a well placed cut-out take pressure off the nodule so you can stand and walk without it being compressed. Footwear guidance, padding, and activity changes often do more than people expect.
When the nodule keeps growing, keeps hurting, or limits what you can wear and do, our board-certified foot and ankle surgeons discuss removing or reducing it. Our plantar fibroma microsurgery page explains how that is done through a very small entry point.
What to Expect
Most plantar fibromas are watched rather than treated straight away, because a nodule that is not causing trouble rarely needs anything done to it. What matters is whether it is changing and whether it hurts.
Fibromas can return after removal. Your surgeon will be straightforward with you about that, and about what can be done to reduce the chance, including the orthotic work that continues afterward.
When to Come In
Come in if the lump is growing, if it hurts to stand or walk, if it is changing the shoes you can wear, or if you simply want to know what it is. We see patients at four boutique Manhattan offices.