Search research articles

ABOUT JoVE

Overview Leadership Blog JoVE Help Center

AUTHORS

Publishing Process Editorial Board Scope & Policies Peer Review FAQ Submit

LIBRARIANS

Testimonials Subscriptions Access Resources Library Advisory Board FAQ

RESEARCH

JoVE Journal Methods Collections JoVE Encyclopedia of Experiments Archive

EDUCATION

JoVE Core JoVE Business JoVE Science Education JoVE Lab Manual Faculty Resource Center Faculty Site

Terms & Conditions of Use

Search research articles

Related Experiment Videos

Metatarsal stress fractures

D Drez, J C Young, R D Johnston

The American Journal of Sports Medicine

|March 1, 1980

Summary

A short first metatarsal is not linked to metatarsal stress fractures. This study found no significant difference in first and second metatarsal lengths between patients with stress fractures and a healthy control group.

Related Concept Videos

You might also read

Related Articles

Articles linked to this work by shared authors, journal, and citation graph.

Sort by

Same author

Quantitative assessment of microstructural damage in paediatric aortic coarctation tissue during benchtop balloon angioplasty and stenting.

Scientific reports·2026

Same author

Unexpected contribution of the Fak system and the thioesterase TesE to the growth and membrane physiology of <i>Enterococcus faecalis</i>.

Journal of bacteriology·2025

Same author

Imaging the microstructure of the arterial wall - ex vivo to in vivo potential.

Acta biomaterialia·2025

Same author

Feature size specific processing parameters for additively manufactured Ti-6Al-4V micro-strut lattices.

Journal of the mechanical behavior of biomedical materials·2024

Same author

Contact load practices and perceptions in elite English rugby league: an evaluation to inform contact load guidelines.

South African journal of sports medicine·2024

Same author

Global practitioner assessment and management of mental fatigue and mental recovery in high-performance sport: A need for evidence-based best-practice guidelines.

Scandinavian journal of medicine & science in sports·2023

Area of Science:

Orthopedics
Sports Medicine
Biomechanics

Background:

Metatarsal stress fractures are common injuries, particularly in athletes.
The role of foot morphology, such as a short first metatarsal, in the etiology of these fractures is debated.

Purpose of the Study:

To investigate the association between first metatarsal length and the incidence of metatarsal stress fractures.
To determine if a short first metatarsal is a risk factor for developing metatarsal stress fractures.

Main Methods:

Retrospective analysis of roentgenograms from patients diagnosed with metatarsal stress fractures.
Comparison of first and second metatarsal lengths between the patient group and a control group without foot pain.
Statistical analysis to assess differences in metatarsal lengths.

Main Results:

No statistically significant difference was found in the lengths of the first and second metatarsals between the stress fracture group and the control group.
The study defined criteria for a "short" first metatarsal (less than 73% of second metatarsal length) and a "long" first metatarsal (more than 94% of second metatarsal length).

Conclusions:

A short first metatarsal is not implicated as a cause of metatarsal stress fractures.
Foot morphology, specifically first metatarsal length, does not appear to be a significant risk factor for developing metatarsal stress fractures.

Related Experiment Videos