Imaging of Turf Toe.

Area of Science:

• Sports Medicine
• Orthopedic Imaging
• Anatomy

Background:

• Turf toe is a frequent injury affecting the hallux metatarsophalangeal (MTP) joint, particularly in athletes.
• It results from a hyperdorsiflexion injury mechanism.
• The term commonly refers to injuries of the plantar plate complex in the context of imaging.

Purpose of the Study:

• To provide a comprehensive review of turf toe injuries.
• To detail the normal anatomy of the first MTP joint.
• To describe common injury patterns and imaging findings.

Main Methods:

• Review of existing literature on turf toe.
• Discussion of normal first MTP joint anatomy.
• Analysis of imaging findings (MRI and ultrasound) in both normal and injured states.

Main Results:

• Detailed description of the first MTP joint's anatomy.
• Explanation of the hyperdorsiflexion mechanism leading to turf toe.
• Presentation of typical imaging characteristics for normal anatomy and common turf toe injuries, including plantar plate tears.

Conclusions:

• Turf toe is primarily an injury to the plantar plate complex of the first MTP joint.
• Understanding normal anatomy and injury mechanisms is crucial for accurate diagnosis via MRI and ultrasound.
• This review provides a guide to identifying common turf toe injury patterns on imaging.