Joints
Interphalangeal joints of the foot (artt. interphalangeales pedis)
The joints between the phalanges: one at the hallux, a proximal and a distal one at the other toes. They move in the sagittal plane only and mainly serve to let the toe conform to the ground in the last phase of roll-off.
- Joint type
- Hinge joints (ginglymi), one degree of freedom
- Latin name
- Articulationes interphalangeales pedis
Movements, axes and normal values
| Movement | Plane | Axis | Normal range | End feel |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Flexion | sagittal | transverse (mediolateral) | proximal 35-50 degrees, distal 50-60 degrees | soft tissue approximation |
| Extension | sagittal | transverse (mediolateral) | essentially only to neutral, a few degrees beyond at the distal joint | firm springy (ligament) |
- Close-packed position
- Full extension
- Resting (loose-packed) position
- Slight flexion
- Capsular pattern
- Flexion limited more than extension.
- Arthrokinematics
- Pure rolling and gliding about a transverse axis; the collateral ligaments are taut in extension and slack in flexion, which is why a toe that stiffens in flexion is so hard to straighten again.
- Stability
- The collateral ligaments and plantar plates, with the long and short toe flexor tendons as active support.
- Palpation
- The joint lines are felt dorsally as transverse grooves when the toe is slightly flexed; they lie distal to the visible skin crease, not in it.
- Clinical
- Hammer toe and claw toe are deformities of precisely these joints, often from an imbalance between the long and short toe muscles or from tight footwear. While still correctable, exercise therapy makes sense; once fixed, treatment shifts to pressure relief.
- Source
- Speciële anatomie van het houdings- en bewegingsapparaat (HU, 2013)