Investigating biomechanical function of toes through external manipulation integrating analysis

Area of Science:

• Biomechanics of human locomotion
• Sports science and running dynamics

Background:

• The role of individual toe function during the running gait cycle is not fully understood.
• Investigating toe mechanics can provide insights into foot function and injury prevention strategies.

Purpose of the Study:

• To compare the kinematic and plantar pressure differences between bound toes and naturally separated toes during running.
• To elucidate the functional significance of toe separation in running biomechanics.

Main Methods:

• Kinematic data and in-shoe plantar pressure measurements were collected from seven habitually barefoot male runners.
• Running trials were conducted under two conditions: toes bound externally and toes not bound.

Main Results:

• While ankle kinematics in the frontal plane showed non-significant differences, significant differences in foot loading were observed.
• The medial forefoot exhibited a smaller force time integral, and the hallux showed a larger force time integral when toes were not bound (p < 0.05).

Conclusions:

• Non-binding toes resulted in altered foot loading, with reduced medial forefoot impulse and increased hallux impulse.
• These findings suggest that the active gripping function of toes may be crucial for the efficient operation of the foot's windlass mechanism.
• Enhanced windlass mechanism function through toe gripping could potentially improve running performance and reduce the risk of foot injuries.