Turf toe injuries and traumatic hallux valgus in the athlete

Abstract

Injuries of the great toe are often underappreciated and can lead to significant functional disability. Among university athletes, Clanton and Ford(1) found that foot injuries were the third leading cause of missed time, and a large portion of these injuries involved the hallux metatarsophalangeal (MTP) joint. A sprain or tear of the capsular ligamentous structures of the first MTP joint is known as a turf toe injury. If unrecognized or mistreated, these injuries can lead to chronic problems, such as loss of push-off strength, persistent pain, progressive deformity and, eventually, joint degeneration. The focus of this article is to review the anatomy and function of the hallux MTP joint, describe the turf toe injury, and present our experience in diagnosing and treating a variant of turf toe injuries known as traumatichallux valgus.