Turf-toe: an analysis of metatarsophalangeal joint sprains in professional football players

Abstract

Metatarsophalangeal joint injuries of the great toe (turf-toe) are receiving increasing attention in the literature because of the prevalence of synthetic surfaces and lighter, more flexible shoes. Eighty active professional football players were evaluated. The mechanism of injury was hyperextension in 85% of the players. Eighty-three percent reported their initial injury on artificial turf (P less than 0.05). Other factors significantly related to the incidence of turf-toe included player age (P less than 0.01), number of years in professional football (P less than 0.01), and range of ankle dorsiflexion (P less than 0.05). Turf-toe injury resulted in significantly decreased range of motion of the first metatarsophalangeal joint (P less than 0.01).