Setting our fantasy football team each week we must check to see which players are active and which are injured. A frequent running back or lineman injury is a sprain of the first metatarsal phalangeal joint also known as “Turf toe”. Turf toe is the third most common injury to athletes causing them to lose time from play. It happens from repetitive forces pushing off the ball of the foot or jamming the great toe joint. The great toe is either forced into the ground of forcibly bent backward. It causes tearing of the joint capsule surrounding the base of the great toe. Players present with pain and swelling to the ball of the foot around the base of great toe. The change in the surface of the fields to artificial surfaces increases the amount of injuries due to the increase in friction and lack of shock absorption. The change in footwear to a more flexible style has improved the performance and speed of athletes but also has decreased the support, leading to increased injuries. (more…)