Older runners may be at greater risk of big toe injuries too, because as we are about to see, some big toe injuries are related to chronic degenerative changes in the joint that accumulate over many years of wear and tear. Partially because of the rarity of big toe injuries, we don’t know a whole lot about the risk factors for them, or what kind of runners get them.įrom basic biomechanical principles, we can predict that forefoot strikers and middle-distance runners may be more likely to get big toe injuries, because of the increased demands these runners place on their big toe joint. However, the downside of this is that the sesamoids, alongside the ligaments and tendons that surround them, are vulnerable to injury. They create a mechanical advantage to multiply your force. One of these is the presence of tiny bones called sesamoids (a word that has the same root as “sesame seed,” because these bones are so small). Because it handles so much force during walking and running, the joint has special adaptations to create additional mechanical leverage. There’s a lot more going on inside your big toe joint than just two bones articulating. Even though it’s very small, the big toe joint (known to medical professionals as the metatarsophalangeal joint has several distinct anatomic components, each of which is susceptible to injury. 2 For more on common running injuries please read Common Running Injuries.ĭespite this, an injury to your big toe can set you back for weeks or months if you can’t diagnose it. 1Īnother study published in 2002 found that none of the injuries that affect the big toe were among the top ten most common running injuries. Even with a very generous definition that includes all toe injuries and injuries to the “sole” of the foot, this accounts for less than five percent of all running injuries according to one study. It serves a critical function in creating more leverage to generate forward momentum when you run, and because of this, it is susceptible to several overuse injuries.Īmong runners, a big toe injury is not common. The big toe might be a small joint, but that doesn’t mean it isn’t important for runners.
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