Metatarsophalangeal joint sprain

A metatarsophalangeal joint sprain is an injury to the connective tissue between the foot and one of the toes. When the big toe is involved, it is known as "turf toe".

Causes

Turf toe is named from the injury being associated with playing sports on rigid surfaces such as artificial turf and is a fairly common injury among professional American football players. Often, the injury occurs when someone or something falls on the back of the calf while that leg's knee and tips of the toes are touching the ground. The toe is hyperextended and thus the joint is injured. Additionally, athletic shoes with very flexible soles combined with cleats that "grab" the turf will cause overextension of the big toe. This can occur on the lesser toes as well. It has also been observed in sports beyond American football, including soccer, basketball, rugby, volleyball, and tae kwon do. This is a primary reason why many athletes prefer natural grass to turf, because it is softer.