A brief history of Morton's toe

Members do not see these Ads. Sign Up.

netizens

Taken from YouTube and passed on in good faith.

Another self promotion for a book



'The Mortons Toe, or Why You Really Hurt: It All Starts In The Foot '.

The video does contain some interesting historical background.

toeslayer

 

More snake oil.

The author was taken to task here and failed to come up with the goods: Epic Fail

 

You will probably remember an interesting discussion/monologue, in another thread, a few weeks ago, on whether it should be 'Down syndrome' or 'Down's syndrome'.

The same problem is manifested here with 'Morton's toe' or should it be 'Morton toe'?

Maybe we need a bit of consistency here?

If I remember correctly the American Down Syndrome Association consider it should be Down syndrome and not Down's syndrome because Down neither had the syndrome nor owned the syndrome as is implied by the apostrophe. He was simply the first person to describe the syndrome

Therefore for consistency it should be Morton toe and not Morton's toe?

Dr Burton S. Schuler has made an interesting idiosynctratic modification by the addition of 'The' to the name of the condition.

Now I am not sure if it should be 'The Morton toe' or 'The Morton's toe'?

Does the addition of 'The' add something to the name of the condition?

I suppose it does put the focus on a particular Morton rather than just any old Morton. Possibly without the 'The' I would be thinking about Arthur Morton the composer or even Greenock Morton the Scottish Football club.

The waters are muddied even more if we allow 'Mortons toe' or Mortons' toe' or heaven forbid 'The Mortons toe' or 'The Mortons' toe'.

The problem disappears if we call it 'LaMay toe'.

OK. OK. I'm just trying to be helpful. I mean you want to get it right don't you?

Have an ice day.

Bill

PS I know.

 

"If I remember correctly the American Down Syndrome Association consider it should be Down syndrome and not Down's syndrome because Down neither had the syndrome nor owned the syndrome as is implied by the apostrophe. He was simply the first person to describe the syndrome"


IMO, the apostrophe gives honor to those people that gave a good portion of the their life to put the pieces of the puzzle together to advance medicine and help humanity.

Steven

 

In which case Morton toe (or variants on that theme) should be Durlacher's toe, since he first described the condition, I think about 50 years before Morton.

As with all of these things it is better to describe the condition ie. plantar digital neuritis rather than attribute it. Only problem then is that it is not really a 'neuroma'

Bill Liggins

 

I wonder if there is a little transatlantic confusion over this one as it seems that the Morton's toe referred to by Dr Schuler is what, in the UK, is called a short first metatarsal?

It reinforces your point nicely Bill. Describing the condition as, eg plantar digital neuritis or short first metatarsal, avoids the confusion inherent in the term Morton's toe.

Bill

 

I remember that. We've seen worse on these pages... but not many.

 

In the UK, do you Rx Short first metatarsal extensions and Reverse short first metatarsal extensions as well?

To know the people that helped build the roads behind us helps us to build new and better roads ahead of us.

Steven

 

Hi Steven,

Undoubtedly people have their names attached to a whole range of things apart from medical conditions, eg geographical features, plants and flowers, scientific units, etc (?). I get the feeling that some areas attract it more than others?

Possibly a century after someone has built their old road all that's left of the memory of the person is a name and not even one that easily identifies them individually. It hardly seems enough of an incentive to ensure or even encourage the 'building of new roads'? I think it has a prestige value if the name is attached when the person is still living, eg ' Look, look, it's him', 'Who', 'Morton', 'Morton who?', 'You know, Morton of the toe', 'Not the Morton of the toe', 'Wow', 'Wait 'til I tell, ughhh', 'Yeh, just wait'.

Apart from any prestige value it can be a form of shorthand but when it's used as a shorthand it's better if it says the same to all people (Morton's toe is synonymous with short first met. or plantar digital neuritis) and that it actually is a short hand.

Unfortunately for me my role in all this road building has never been more than to dig the holes and from time to time fall into them.

Still somones got to do it.

Bill

 

I have mixed feelings about attaching a personal name to a medical condition or medical technique or test. In some ways, assigning a personal name to a condition, technique or test does offer a nice "shorthand" description that, if understood, makes it more easy to discuss. In addition, these using personal names such as Morton's Toe, does give honor to those that first described or popularized the condition, technique or test. However, I do not like when someone names a condition, technique or test after themselves, rather than allowing their colleagues in the future to do so if they see fit, since this just sits uncomfortably with me.

However, in many cases of personal names being used within the medical professions to describe conditions, techniques and tests, it may be more appropriate to simply use common words to describe it rather than trying to determine who popularized or first described the condition, technique or test. This then gets around those arguments of who first described or popularized the technique in the future which can get, at times, rather messy.

As for me, I do like honoring those who invented and popularized a condition, technique or test by continuing to use their name's in association with well-established conditions, techniques or tests as well I appreciate the "shorthand" description that this allows in discussions on the subject. But, for academic clarity, it is probably best to not use personal names for newly described conditions, techniques or tests so that the name used for the condition, technique or test actually describes it, rather than names it after someone.

 

Unfortunately, as in the case above, using personal names does cause confusion and is often incorrect. I could reference 'Rothbart's Foot'.............but I won't! :butcher:

Cheers

Bill

 

Bill:

Like I said:

Brian Rothbart naming a "foot type" after himself, especially when this type of foot structure has been previously described by many other authors before him, is one of the most outrageous examples of the self-serving nature of some podiatrists: very anxious to make a name for themselves by promoting their own name by tying it into a condition, technique or test that they made up.

Once Rothbart is gone, no one else will be calling it "Rothbart's Foot". Thank goodness for that.

 

Indeed, as do I.

As first-year students, we were encouraged to investigate and draw our own conclusions from `paradigm shifts` with regards to lower limb mechanics. Prior to our literature searches, we spent an afternoon briefly discussing; Dananbergs` sagittal plane theory, Roots` criteria for a “Normal Foot” and Kirbys` Rotational Equilibrium Theory of Foot Function.....I came away from the lecture thinking; "must look into that `Kirby skive`" as it made the most logical/physical sense....only to stumble across the `kirby kiss` whilst searching. Hats off to either one, Kevin

 

I have no claim on the Kirby kiss, but I did enjoy the description of it. Thanks for that, Bel.:drinks

 

And let's not forget that ubiquitous master of biomechnical control over the last century and more, the 'Kirby grip'.

Bill

 

Aloha,

Good thing we have the Weil procedure to correct for Mortons Toe...

There is something to be said for adding your name to your product or company.

If you truely believe in what you are doing (and if it is truely unique) you should have the courage to put your name on it.

Kingetics = Kinetic Springs = Spring Kinetics

A Hui Hou,
Steve

 

I have no idea what Dr King said (as he is on my ignore list), but I bet my bottom dollar it had something to do with $$kingetics$$.....see that's the difference between a salesperson, arrogantly naming a patented product after themselves, as opposed to a practitioner who is internationally respected for their work and contribution to our profession and thus attributed BY HIS PEERS to a recognised technique/condition.

Sorry to talk about you as if you're not in the room, Kevin (does he take sugar?), but I have only ever heard colleagues refer to a skive as a "Kirby Skive", not the main-man himself. Nuff said.

 

:good: Belinda

I think the sales people that post on here for free exposure are worse than the Spammers that Craig is trying to curtail. Their egos are so overinflated that you will :bash: if you try to debate with them in any meaningful way. I wonder how many of these salespeople advertise on here or are they all parasites?

Steven

 

Aloha,

Now that there is something new to learn perhaps you could take the time to research it and make comment?

Mahalo,
Steve

Doctor of Podiatry
Owner of an Advanced Composite Orthotics Company
Teacher of New Technology

 

Advertise your company on Podiatry Arena and I will be happy to.

Steven

 

Aloha,
Ok, we currently are a paying supporter and advertiser of this website.
Please make biomechanical feedback of our mechanics.
The US Department of Defense and Army Medical Research and Materials Commannd research results can be downloaded at www.kingetics.com under the MAREN tab.
It will be great to hear your informed comments and improvements...

Mahalo,
Steve

 

Mahalo Kevin,

Please allow me to correct you..

The patent is called "Spring Orthotic Device" USPTO #8,353,968
There is some nice research in there if you can get through the first 20 pages or so.
"My" best mechanical description of this device so far is "Simple Spring Lever Machine Tricoerrectional Joint"

My wife liked the name Kingetics...

Aloha,
Steve

 

Mahalo Kevin,

Please allow me to correct you..

The patent is called "Spring Orthotic Device" USPTO #8,353,968
There is some nice research in there if you can get through the first 20 pages or so.
"My" best mechanical description of this device so far is "Simple Spring Lever Machine Tricoerrectional Joint"

My wife liked the name Kingetics...

Aloha,
Steve

 

Is 21st century podiatry manifesting an eponymoma?

Does this apparent rash of eponyms within podiatry represent something of a coming of age, ie the standing as a profession is directly related its eponym count?

With all this concern for the rules of 'eponymisation', "I say old man, you can't just attach your name to it and try to gain money/prestige/status/recognition/advantage/advancement/humility/etc." How should it work?

In the past was 'eponymisation' always applied by peers, after the event, as recognition of a job well done?

As 'eponymisation' undoubtedly doesn't happen in the instant what happens in the interim period,? For example, before Down wrote down his description of the syndrome was the condition invisible to others? When they were asked to describe the condition did they respond with a lot of arm waving, 'you know, 'thingy', 'like' and 'whatever'?

I would think that eventual eponymisation has always required a lobby always been the outcome of a power struggle and has always been mutifaceted, manifesting all the characteristics of self-promotion and ego stroking and egonanism?

If there is currently a rapid increase in the number of eponyms within the profession of podiatry and if it does in some way represent something of a coming of age it doesn't really mean that podiatry can play with the big boys now as podiatric eponyms, as does egonanism, lacks an essential feature, penetration or does it?

Bill

PS By penetration I do of course mean that the eponyms used in podiatry are not used to any extent outside the profession but then again why should they?.

 

Having spoke to Lowell Weil (whom I deeply respect and to whom - like all British podiatric surgeons - I am ever grateful) about the dorso-plantar lesser metatarsal osteotomy that bears his name, I know that he deplores the 'eponymisation'. Then again, in the UK we call a back hoe machine a JCB after J C Bamford who invented the thing. However, we are podiatrists not engineers!

Bill Liggins

 

I think one of the worst examples is the "Perrin Technique" which has been trademarked by Raymond Perrin an osteopath in Manchester who then goes on to 'licence' practitioners to use the technique. What is it? A controversial technique for removing 'toxins' in patients with ME - essentially a vigorous deep massage of the breast and chest tissue which 'helps the lymphatics drain the toxins in the tissues' which Perrin believes is A complicationof ME. Bad enough when one individual like Rothbart tries to cash in on public ignorance, but when a significant section of a profession does the same thing - with no proven clinical benefit - it makes you wonder....

 

perhaps not in mechanical or electrical but I think a few might argue the same principles apply to biomechanics.

 

If podiatrists were more like engineers in their knowledge of physics, then teaching biomechanics to podiatrists would be far, far easier than it is currently. Maybe we should be thinking more like engineers?

 

Aloha,
Kevin is exactly right on this point.( Too bad he will not hear my compliment since i am on his ignore list).

Biomechanics is a field of engineering.

Many of the issues engineers have with walking robots and gait systems are the same in humans.


A name is just a name,, it is how you play the game.

A hui hou,
Steve

 

Very true, Kevin.

There have been an innumerable amount of engineering feats from the great pyramids to the internet we are using today. Yet, no engineering feat created by man will surpass the engineering design of man himself. It thus makes sense to think like an engineer to treat the most sophisticated and complex creation in the world.

Thinking like an engineer enables us to diagnose, treat and further our understanding of lower extremity mechanics. We need not go into the academic depth of engineering, but we should come to understand the basic concepts so we can understand why our patients have developed their pain in a particular location and develop the appropriate treatment approach.

I am still working on thinking like an engineer.

Steven

 

I briefly looked at your website and can see you invested much time into your carbon fiber spring orthotic. It may be very effective in decreasing the incidence of stress fractures, plantar fasciitis, ect. I am open-minded and would give it a try.

The spring and rocking action of the device does seem like it can decrease the time and magnitude of pressure on the ball of the foot and assist in bringing the center of mass forward.

I really cannot comment too much unless I tried it on patients as well as on my own feet. The price of the boot and orthotics is very high. A price of @ $750 seems more reasonable. $250 for the boot (high quality, like Red Wing) and $500 for the orthotic.

Your ambitious and wish you well with it.

Steven