What Is Turf Toe?
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What is Turf Toe?
A turf toe injury is one that involves the big toe getting bent back onto the top of the foot either completely or partly. The stabilizing structures known as ligament and tendons on the bottom of the toe get stretched or torn. In football this injury occurs usually when a heavy lineman falls onto another player’s heel, forcing the big toe to bend backwards too much but this can also occur in weekend warriors or work related injuries.
What is Turf Toe?
What Are the Symptoms of Turf Toe?
Symptoms of turf toe will usually include pain, swelling, and limited joint movement at the first joint of the big toe in the ball of the foot. With traumatic turf toe injuries, the injury can be painful immediately and then will increase over the next couple of days as the patient tries to walk. With more chronic injuries, symptoms gradually get worse over time. Symptoms usually increase with activities that involve bending of the toe backwards, such as rising up onto the balls of the feet or walking on uneven surfaces such as grass or sand.
Bones of the foot
Why is a Turf Toe Injury a Problem?
In order to sprint, cut, or even walk effectively, the big toe needs to be stable. When the structures on the bottom of the big toe are not stable, patients often struggle to push off and move well because of pain in the big toe or instability in the big toe. This injury can be particularly painful and can limit physical activity.
Can a Turf Toe Injury be Treated without Surgery?
As with many orthopedic conditions, it depends how bad the injury is. Treatment can be with or without surgery. Conservative non-surgical treatment usually involves putting a stiff insert onto the bottom of the shoe or by fabricating a custom orthotic for the shoe. This can decrease the stress on the big toe by limiting the amount that it bends backwards. This treatment is generally for patients that have a strain or partial tear of the bottom structures of the big toe. Physical therapy is started once the pain is had diminished. The goal is to improve motion and strength about the big toe and to use therapeutic modalities such as laser therapy to decrease pain and inflammation. Return to sports competition usually depends on how severe the injury is.
To schedule with JOI Rehab for physical therapy, please call 904-858-7045.
How Long Does it take to Recover from Turf Toe Surgery?
Some Turf Toe injuries may be severe enough to require surgery to repair the structures that are torn or broken on the bottom of the big toe. After surgery, patients will need to be off their foot for about 4 weeks after surgery. A cast with an extension that holds the toe down will be placed on the foot at surgery and will be worn for about 2 weeks. The patient will transfer to a removable boot with a toe splint from week 2 to 4, and then at 4 weeks you can begin walking in the boot. The boot is removed at about 8-10 weeks and a stiff insert is placed in the shoe to limit motion of the big toe. Physical therapy to rehabilitate injury begins at about 4 weeks. At first, the focus is on working to improve or maintain toe motion. By 8-10 weeks work on the Alter G anti-gravity treadmill or in the pool can begin. After 10-12 weeks the focus is on strength, balance, and agility. Return to sports competition typically takes 3-4 months.
If you have foot problems or Turf Toe, the Jacksonville Orthopedic Institute can help. We offer ASAP Injury and Fracture Services to get you in quickly. Telemedicine visits are also available if needed.
To schedule an appointment, call (904)JOI-2000, schedule online, or click the link below.