Results of the weight-bearing Lunge test on patients with functional hallux limitus: A cross sectional case–control study

Abstract

Background

Functional hallux limitus (FHL) is a well-known multifactorial functional disruption defined as a clinical entity characterized by the difficulty of loading the metatarsal-phalangeal joint of the first finger to the dorsal flexion when weight-bearing. The objective of this study is to verify a possible relationship between a decrease in dorsiflexion of the talocrural joint with a limitation of the first phalangeal metatarsal joint.

Patients and methods

Weight-bearing Lunge test (WBLT) values of 26 participants were analyzed, 13 had FHL and 13 were controls. FHL test and WBLT were performed to the total of the sample. Three measurements were made for the WBLT to obtain its result as mean ± standard deviation in order to relate it to the presence of HLF. The T-Student test was performed on independent samples comparing the WBLT results on the cases and controls groups. The left and the right limbs were analyzed for the sample and a distinction was made between genders.

Results

Statistically significant differences were found between the cases group and the control group at the dorsal flexion range of motion for the right leg (30.84 ± 2.820 vs 34.92 ± 1.93; p < 0.05) but not for the left leg (31.00 ± 4.000 vs 34.30 ± 2.56; p = 0.19). In relation to the gender, the differences between cases–control were equally significant for the female and male genders on the right leg, but not on the left.

Conclusions

Based on the results obtained in the study, an association between HLF and a decrease in the range of motion of the talocrural joint has been found, although further studies are needed in order to correlate this biomechanical relation.