Forces on the first metatarsophalangeal joint: a pilot study

The following is a pilot study designed to examine the forces in and around the first metatarsophalangeal joint during the contact phase of the normal gait cycle. The architecture of this study was designed to be simple, effective, and repeatable with minimal complications. This study used a force plate to examine ground reaction forces with the simultaneous use of a video tape recorder to provide overlapping images of the angular displacement of the proximal phalanx on the first metatarsophalangeal joint coinciding with these ground reaction forces. Peak ground reaction force was found to be 1.16 x body weight while the proximal phalanx was found to be maximally dorsiflexed just 0.09 seconds after the peak ground reaction force. The mean range of motion during this process was found to be 31.54 degrees.