Forefoot conditions in dancers: part I.

The conditions occurring in the dancer's forefoot can be divided into five categories. The three categories presented in Part I of our study include those conditions occurring from poor training, those from chronic forefoot stresses, and those of static deformity. Five hundred dancers were observed for both symptomatic and asymptomatic forefoot conditions. It is most important that a young dancer have at least three years training before dancing en pointe. Many skeletal changes in a dancer's foot occur from use and should not be interpreted as injuries. Static forefoot deformities tend to appear in dancers at a younger age than the general population but seldom require corrective surgery.