Incidence and risk factors for turf toe injuries in intercollegiate football: data from the national collegiate athletic association injury surveillance system
George E, Harris AH, Dragoo JL, Hunt KJ
Foot & ankle international · 34 citations
How it was studied
- Design
- Cohort study (classified by our AI screen)
- Studied in
- People
- Main outcome
- Clinical events such as disease or death
Who paid for it
- Funding
- Independent funding
- Nonprofit
- National Collegiate Athletic Association
- University or hospital
- School of Medicine, Stanford University
Based on 2 listed funder(s).
Publication
- Published
- 2013-12-11 · Foot Ankle Int · vol. 35 · issue 2 · pp. 108–115
- Publisher
- SAGE Publishing
- Cited
- 71 citations · more than 87% of similar papers · 2.4× the field average
- References
- 24 works
- Access
- Paywalled
- Research areas
- Sports injuries and prevention · Traumatic Brain Injury Research · Lower Extremity Biomechanics and Pathologies
- Keywords
- Medicine, Epidemiology, Incidence (geometry), Athletes, Football, Physical therapy, Injury prevention, Poison control, Emergency medicine, Internal medicine
- MeSH
- toes, humans, athletic injuries, incidence, risk factors, sports, football, shoes, male
4 authors
From US
- Elizabeth L GeorgeStanford University
- Alex H. S. HarrisStanford University
- Jason L. DragooStanford University
- Kenneth John HuntStanford University
Abstract
Background
Turf toe is the general term for a sprain of the first metatarsophalangeal (MTP) joint complex. Previously attributed to shoe design and artificial turf, the incidence of turf toe injury has been thought to decline with the advent of newer turf designs. However, the current incidence and epidemiology remain unknown as the majority of the literature consists of small series and addresses diagnosis and treatment rather than epidemiology and prevention.
Methods
We examined data from the NCAA's Injury Surveillance System (ISS) for 5 football seasons (2004-2005 through 2008-2009), including all preseason, regular season, and postseason practice and competition data. The incidence, epidemiology, and risk factors for turf toe injury, defined as injury to the connective tissue of the first MTP joint, plantar plate complex, and/or sesamoid fracture, were determined.
Results
The overall incidence of turf toe injuries in NCAA football players was 0.062 per 1000 athlete-exposures (A-Es; 95% CI 0.052, 0.072). Athletes were nearly 14 times more likely to sustain the injury during games compared to practice, with a mean days lost due to injury of 10.1 (7.9, 12.4). Fewer than 2% of turf toe injuries required operative intervention. There was a significantly higher injury rate on third-generation artificial surfaces compared to natural grass (0.087 per 1000 A-E [0.067, 0.11] vs 0.047 per 1000 A-E [0.036, 0.059]). The majority of injuries occurred as a result of contact with the playing surface (35.4%) or contact with another player (32.7%), and running backs and quarterbacks were the most common positions to suffer turf toe injury.
Conclusion
Our data suggest a significantly higher incidence of turf toe injuries during games, a greater susceptibility among running backs and quarterbacks, and a significant contribution of playing surface to risk of injury. Though turf toe injuries may be less common that previously reported in elite football players, these injuries warrant appropriate acute and long-term management to prevent long-term dysfunction.
Level of evidence
Level IV, case series.
Abstract via Europe PMC. Copyright remains with the authors or publisher.
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