TUCSON, AZ – October 23, 2026 – Head to Toe Healthcare, PLC announced today that Dr. Alan Shih, Founder and Board-Certified Podiatrist, has added Leneva injectable allograft adipose matrix to the practice’s treatment offerings, giving Tucson patients with plantar fat pad atrophy a minimally invasive option that sits between conservative care and surgical reconstruction.
Plantar fat pad atrophy is the thinning or loss of the natural cushioning tissue beneath the heel and ball of the foot. When that tissue wears down, the bones of the foot meet the ground with almost no buffer. Patients commonly describe it as walking on pebbles or directly on bone, and many spend months trying insoles and orthotics before anyone pinpoints the structural deficit causing their pain.
The Problem: When Padding Can’t Replace What’s No Longer There The plantar fat pads serve a specific mechanical function. They absorb and distribute the compressive force of each step. When that tissue thins, whether through aging, high-impact activity over time, prolonged corticosteroid use, or underlying conditions such as diabetes or rheumatoid arthritis, no external padding can fully recreate what the body has lost. Orthotics can offload pressure and redistribute load, but they can’t restore volume beneath the metatarsal heads or heel.
The American Podiatric Medical Association has identified plantar fat pad atrophy as a significant and underdiagnosed contributor to chronic forefoot and heel pain. Despite that recognition, many patients with the condition continue to cycle through conservative treatments that address symptoms rather than the structural cause.
The Solution: Leneva Injectable Allograft Adipose Matrix Leneva is an injectable material derived from donated human adipose tissue. It’s specifically designed to be placed beneath the foot’s weight-bearing surfaces, where it acts as a scaffold that the body can integrate rather than simply break down and reabsorb.
Unlike hyaluronic acid fillers, which add temporary volume without supporting tissue repair, Leneva provides a structural matrix that the body’s own cells can populate over time, offering a more durable restoration of the cushioning layer.
Because Leneva is injected, there’s no donor-site wound and no surgical recovery. For the right patient, that means a meaningful reduction in both procedural complexity and downtime compared to surgical fat grafting.
One important caveat: Leneva isn’t appropriate for every patient with foot pain. Patients with active infection at or near the intended treatment site, certain metabolic conditions that impair tissue integration, or fat pad loss so severe that structural reconstruction is necessary, should not proceed with Leneva until those factors are fully evaluated. Individual outcomes vary, and results typically develop over weeks to months rather than immediately after the procedure. An evaluation with Dr. Shih is the right first step to determine whether Leneva is a good fit for a patient’s anatomy and history.
Who This Treatment Is For and How It Fits the Practice Before Leneva was available at Head to Toe Healthcare, the treatment progression moved from conservative options directly to more involved procedures. That left a gap for patients who’d already committed to orthotics and padding without adequate relief but weren’t ready for or appropriate candidates for surgery. Leneva fills that gap specifically.
Consider a patient who has been told that their imaging looks unremarkable, has already been fitted with two pairs of custom orthotics, and still reports sharp pain at the ball of the foot with every step. That’s the presentation where a tissue-based injectable can address what padding and offloading can’t: the volume deficit itself, directly at the bone-to-ground contact site.
The practice’s comprehensive approach to cushioning loss now follows a logical progression, including custom orthotics and offloading devices, conventional plantar augmentation fillers, Leneva injectable allograft adipose matrix, and surgical autologous fat grafting for cases requiring full structural reconstruction. Placing Leneva in that sequence is what makes it useful. It’s not a replacement for the other options; it’s the intervention that belongs between them.
Leneva is most appropriate for patients with documented fat pad loss who retain viable soft tissue in the treatment area and haven’t achieved sufficient relief from conservative care alone. The decision about where a specific patient falls in that spectrum is made in consultation with Dr. Shih, based on their individual anatomy, imaging, and treatment history.
About Head to Toe Healthcare, PLC
Head to Toe Healthcare, PLC is a Tucson, Arizona practice offering specialized eye care and foot care. The podiatry team, led by Dr. Alan Shih, treats conditions including peripheral neuropathy, heel pain, sports injuries, and structural foot concerns. Dr. Shih’s training includes peripheral nerve surgery through the Dellon Institutes for Peripheral Nerve Surgery. The practice is recognized nationally for its work in eye, foot, and nerve care.
Dr. Alan Shih is available to speak with the media about the clinical rationale for adding Leneva to the practice. Attributed quotes for publication are available upon request through the contact below.
Patients seeking an evaluation can reach Head to Toe Healthcare Monday through Friday, 8:00 AM to 5:00 PM.
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Company Name: Head to Toe Healthcare, PLC
Contact Person: Media Relations
Email: Send Email
Phone: +1 520 545 0202
City: Tucson
State: AZ
Country: United States
Website: https://headtotoehealthcare.org/
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