Morton Toe and Neuromuscular Performance

This cross-sectional observational study investigated whether female football players with Morton toe morphology differ from those with normal foot morphology in neuromuscular contractile properties and kinetic performance characteristics. Morton toe is a congenital foot variation in which the second toe is longer than the first. A total of 47 female football players were classified into two groups based on bilateral foot morphology: Morton foot group (n = 24) and normal foot group (n = 23). Neuromuscular properties of the dominant vastus lateralis muscle were assessed using tensiomyography, and kinetic performance was evaluated through a 40-cm drop jump test on dual force plates. The primary outcomes were contraction time (Tc) and reactive strength index (RSI). Secondary outcomes included relaxation time, delay time, sustain time, maximal displacement, jump height, peak power normalized to body mass, and landing net peak force normalized to body mass. Multiple linear regression models adjusted for age, body mass index, and mean arch index were used to evaluate whether group differences were independent of potential confounders. This study aimed to determine whether Morton toe morphology is associated with distinct neuromuscular and kinetic performance profiles in female athletes.