Athletic event-specific characteristics in floating toes during the static standing posture.

Area of Science:

• Podiatry
• Sports Medicine
• Biomechanics

Background:

• Floating toe syndrome is a condition affecting toe-to-ground contact.
• Understanding its prevalence and causes in athletes is crucial for prevention and treatment.
• Previous research has not fully elucidated the relationship between specific sports and this condition.

Purpose of the Study:

• To investigate the prevalence and contributing factors of floating toe syndrome in athletes.
• To assess the degree of floating toe syndrome across different sports disciplines.
• To explore potential methods for correction and prevention of floating toe syndrome.

Main Methods:

• A cohort of 93 Japanese male students was recruited and categorized into Sprinters (SPR), Swimmers (SWM), Gymnasts (GYM), Kendoists (KND), and Controls (CON).
• Floating toe syndrome was quantified using the Floating Toes Score (FTS), based on the number of toes not in full ground contact in a static standing posture.
• Participants were classified into Normalcy (FTS > 18), Incomplete Contact (10-17), and Floating Toes (< 9).

Main Results:

• The overall mean FTS was 10.40 ± 5.803, indicating a general classification of Floating Toes across all participants.
• Swimmers (13.46 ± 5.710) and Gymnasts (13.26 ± 4.505) exhibited the highest FTS, falling into the Incomplete Contact category.
• Kendoists (6.55 ± 5.409) and Controls (9.45 ± 4.824) had the lowest FTS, classified as Floating Toes, with no group achieving Normalcy.

Conclusions:

• Swimmers and Gymnasts demonstrated a higher degree of floating toe syndrome compared to other groups.
• Kendoists showed the lowest prevalence of floating toe syndrome among the studied athletes.
• The findings suggest that barefoot training does not necessarily correlate with higher floating toe scores when assessed in a static standing position.