Motion of the first metatarsophalangeal joint. Reliability and validity of four measurement techniques.

The purpose of this study was to first determine the intra-rater reliability of four different static measurement procedures used to assess first metatarsophalangeal joint extension range of motion and, second, determine which of the four static procedures provided a valid measure of the amount of first metatarsophalangeal joint extension required for normal walking. Twenty healthy adult subjects between the ages of 21 and 43 years participated in the study. Four static techniques were evaluated and dynamic first metatarsophalangeal joint extension was also determined from video recordings during walking. The results indicate that 1) all static measurement techniques were reliable; 2) the degree of first metatarsophalangeal joint extension obtained for each of the four static measurement techniques exceeded the amount of first metatarsophalangeal joint extension required for walking; 3) although each of the static measurement techniques was reliable, they should not be considered interchangeable; and 4) approximately 65 degrees of first metatarsophalangeal joint extension are required for normal walking.