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Another study (1) into toe flexion and again toe gripping/grasping is the measure used . If the toes generally remain straight during gait ,and flex around the MTFJ , then why not measure their strength in the same way (2)(see fig 1 in text ) .In my opinion toes do not grasp the ground , instead they provide grip by remain straight and as flat on the deck as the substrate will allow .

Also , looking at the second study and the degree of impairment of foot muscle strength caused by 21 days of bed rest ,would it not make sense , if it were possible ,to introduce resistance exercises to combat such impairment and prevent it from happening ?

(1)
Age-related reduction and independent predictors of toe flexor ...

https://jfootankleres.biomedcentral.com/articles/10.1186/s13047-017-0196-33 days ago - In the present cross-sectional study we estimated and compared age-related changes intoe flexor and handgrip strength in middle-aged men.

(2)see fig 2
ATROPHY AND STRENGTH LOSS OF FOOT MUSCLES AND ...

https://isbweb.org/images/conferences/isb-congresses/2013/.../cb-clinicalfoot.01.pdfduring a period of 21-days bed-rest impaires foot muscle strength by 24% and ... which intrinsic and extrinsic toe flexor muscles importantly contribute to load ...


Gerry

 

Further to the above ,you might try placing a piece of sanded plywood on the ground .The plywood would be splinter free and extended an inch or so beyond the foot in all directions . Now grip/grasp the plywood with your unshod foot and lift the subject foot off the ground . What happens to the plywood ? It stays were it is because you do not actually have any kind of grasp on it at all . So it is with hard flat surfaces .

So what of a sandy type of substrate ? During gait progression , and as you move onto the ball of the subject foot , the toes are pressed flat into the sand giving grip in much the same way as the pads of a dogs paw interact with a yielding substrate . If the toes are curled during this process the material between the toes and in the sulcus of the foot is extruded producing a loss of grip/traction .

Finally toe off if very difficult with curled toes and on hard surfaces could easily lead to injury during running .

In short , human toes do not generally curl during gait but remain straight and so I would question the validity of toe curl measurements as a representation of toe function .

Any thoughts

Gerry

 

My understanding is that the lumbricals plantarflex the toes around the MTFJ but create extension at the inter-phalangeal (PIP and DIP) joints.
So what role do they play in toe curling activities ? And what about the plantar interossei ?