The relationship between navicular drop and first metatarsophalangeal joint motion

This study was conducted to determine whether navicular drop, as a representative measure of foot pronation, was associated with first metatarsal joint motion in 24 healthy subjects aged 21 to 40 years. The magnitude of first metatarsophalangeal joint motion was identified using a custom-built weightbearing goniometer designed to measure maximal hallux dorsiflexion in stance. The weightbearing measure of navicular drop was recorded using an adapted digital caliper. Statistical analysis demonstrated a significant negative correlation (P < .05) between the two variables. Furthermore, simple regression analysis suggested that 33.2% of the variation in maximal hallux dorsiflexion could be explained by different navicular drop values.