Effect of floating toes on knee and trunk acceleration during walking: a preliminary study.
Daisuke Uritani, Chinatsu Sakamoto, Takahiko Fukumoto
PMID 28265174WHAT IT FOUND
In twelve healthy people, taping toes to prevent ground contact increased lower back shaking front-to-back and up-and-down, and tended to increase vertical knee shaking.
This suggests toe contact helps stabilize walking, but it does not prove floating toes cause pain.
Key findings
01Lower back acceleration in the front-to-back and vertical directions was significantly higher when toe flexion was inhibited compared to normal walking.
02Vertical knee acceleration tended to be higher in the inhibited toe condition, though this did not reach statistical significance.
03The study used kinesiology tape to inhibit toe flexion in healthy volunteers to simulate floating toes, rather than observing patients with existing floating toe syndrome.
STILL TO COME
How it was doneWhat they foundWhat it means for PTs
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What it does not show
The sample was very small (12 people) and had more males than females. The study simulated floating toes in healthy volunteers using tape, rather than observing people who actually have floating toe syndrome. It did not differentiate between the function of the big toe and the lesser toes. It did not measure foot pressure in the toe region directly during walking, only confirming lack of contact via a force platform check. The results show changes in acceleration, not pain or injury, and the link to musculoskeletal dysfunction is theoretical.
Declared interests
The authors have no conflicts of interest to declare.
The easy way to misread this
Do not assume that treating floating toes in patients with back or knee pain will reduce their symptoms. This study only showed that artificially blocking toe contact in healthy people changes how their back and knee move. It did not test patients with pain, nor did it test whether restoring toe function improves outcomes.