Articles about the Great Toe (Big Toe)

Sid

Barefooters
Jan 1, 2011
2,794
3,421
113
Florida
THE HUMAN FOOT ITS FORM AND STRUCTURE FUNCTIONS AND CLOTHING BY THOMAS S. ELLIS CONSULTING SURGEON TO THE GENERAL INFIRMARY AT GLOUCESTER
http://www.ahcuah.com/ellis/
https://books.google.com/books?id=rO8xXMyXXGkC&pg=PP9
There is an important change which takes place in the great toe, in moving from the position of rest to one of activity, which involves an alteration in the horizontal contour line. Let us suppose that it has become necessary, to have a specially firm foot-hold, that some one sitting quietly in a chair springs suddenly to his feet and puts himself into an attitude of defence. Immediately the great toe leaves its fellows, going over towards the middle line of the body, and leaving a space between it and the second toe. The same action which presses it against the ground causes this movement also, but there is no bending, no flexion — it remains quite straight.
Before going further it should be clearly understood that there is in the great toe an essential difference in the function as well as in the structure from that common to all of the other four. The former serves as a firm solid base from which the body can be propelled onward.
The most prominent on the inner side is the flexor longus pollicis, on the outer the peroneus longus. Those tendons which are deeper are also tightened; the flexor longus digitorum and the tibialis posticus on the one side, and the peroneus brevis on the other. Now all these muscles are strong — their combined strength is enormous — and although they do not act at the same advantage as the calf muscle, which acts on the projecting or lever-like heel, they do exercise a very great influence in bringing the leg and foot towards a continuous straight line, which is the essence of the tip-toe movement. Take the first-named only; the flexor longus pollicis is so strong that it may be trained to bear the weight of the body itself, as in the stage dancer, who will support himself, or more generally herself, literally on the great toe. Though incapable in most persons of anything like such a feat as this, the muscles in question is, in all good feet, very strong.

It will be seen that the effect of tightening, of shortening the tendon of the long flexor muscle is to diminish the distance between the great toe and the point where the tendon passes round the bone of the heel below the ankle. The result of this is to brace up the arch and increase its convexity. But, it should also be understood, the effect of tightening this tendon or cord is to draw it towards a straight line between the point of attachment to the great toe and the point where it passes below the heel. By this agency the joint at the root of the great toe is uplifted, and if the tightness be sufficient to bear the weight of the body, the anterior pillar of the arch literally dances on the tight rope. If, however, the weight of the body, as indicated by the arrow in fig. 28, be sufficient to bear it down, the anterior pillar is, at least, let down lightly. Thus the same agency that assists in raising the body braces up the arch of the foot, and, in lifting the joint at the root of the great toe, relieves it from the pressure against the ground which the weight of the body suddenly thrown upon it would occasion.
28.jpg
As compared with the long flexor muscle, which is common to all the smaller toes, that acting on the great toe alone plays, in supporting the arch, the much more important part. In animals, as in man, the flexor muscle is generally divided into two. — The horse has, in his divided flexor muscle acting on a single tendon, a relic of remote ancestors having two toes and two flexors — But, where all the digits exist, the division of duty is, however varied in arrangement, more evenly distributed than in the case of man, where one division forms the flexor longus pollicis, acting on a single toe. This is a special characteristic. This is one more evidence of the special importance of the great toe in the human foot.
The division of the great toe into two phalanges only, with two flexor muscles, one to each, is effective to hold both down and keep it straight in all its length. Here the advantage of this construction and of the special development to remarkably large size of the first digit is apparent. It forms a firm solid base, much more so than if, like the other toes, it became flexed. Figs. 29 and 30 mark the contrast. In the one case, representing the great toe, a metatarsal bone (a) is shown with two phalanges. Let it be remembered that there is not only a short flexor of the great toe but an abductor and an adductor, one pulling one way and one in the opposite direction, and, like the two reins of a bridle when both are pulled together, they have a joint or collective action. This is the same as that of the short flexor. The three may therefore be regarded as one set of flexor muscles. Their effect, represented by the line 1, is to hold down the first phalanx, acting on it as on a lever, the fulcrum being formed by the joint at the base of the great toe.

29 30.jpg
On the contrary, as it lies between the points operated on by the two forces indicated by the lines 1 and 2 in fig. 29, it is the point of greatest downward pressure. Thus, the first phalanx being held down, the powerful long flexor, (2) acting on the second, exerts all its influence on a straight great toe.
Before leaving the consideration of the toes, and the manner in which they are acted upon by the muscles, it is desirable to notice that the words flexor and extensor, as applied to those muscles, express that which those corresponding to them do in the hand. They express that which the muscles acting on the toes would do towards them if the toes were used as grasping organs. The words do not express their action in the ordinary function of the feet, in walking.

In this act the flexors of the great toe do not flex it at all: they hold it against the ground at full length. The flexors of the smaller toes do not flex them in the ordinary sense of the word : they do not put them in the position shown in fig. 32, p. 51, but in that shown in fig. 30, where the final phalanx is actually extended on the second. The extensors do not extend the smaller toes: they pull the leg forward, acting on the first phalanges as fixed points, while the second and third are held down by the flexors. Nor does the long extensor special to the great toe, and the portion of the short extensor going to it, have any effect in extending the great toe; they pull upon it while the flexors hold it straight on the ground.
 
AN X-RAY DEMONSTRATION OF SOME OF THE EFFECTS OF SHOES AND STOCKINGS UPON THE HUMAN FOOT. BY H. AUGUSTUS WILSON, A.M., M.D.
https://books.google.com/books?id=xoUyAQAAIAAJ&pg=PA39
Ellis, in his brochure on "The Human Foot," urges the importance of the flexor longus pollicis [hallucis] in walking and in arising to the tiptoes, to which he first called attention in 1874, as follow: "The long flexor of the great toe (1) braces up the arch at the same time that the tibialis posticus (2) turns up the inner margin of the foot, and the calf-muscle (3) lifts up the heel."

It is therefore important the the great toe should be maintained in the correct position, according to Meyer, otherwise action would be materially altered. In walking with the feet turned out, the tendency is to still further evert the great toes, thereby increasing the prominence of the bunion-joint. The powerful propulsion of the great toe is conspicuous in the footprints of the American Indians, and is often seen in trained athletes, by whom the feet are used parallel to each other rather than everted.

Bradford observes that little or no separation of the toes takes place when distortion of the great toe has occurred and the bones necessarily are altered in shape. This is in marked contrast to the action of the normal foot, and shows the deforming tendency of modern shoes and stockings.
 
THE TRAINING OF THE BODY FOR GAMES, ATHLETICS, GYMNASTICS, AND OTHER FORMS OF EXERCISE AND FOR HEALTH, GROWTH, AND DEVELOPMENT. SWAN SONNENSCHEIN, 1901
https://books.google.com/books?id=5SAMAAAAYAAJ&pg=PA136
In Walking naturally, we first set down the Heel, and then the rest of the Foot follow, the movement going from the Heel to the Big Toe. The Foot then pushes off from the ground with the Big Toe.

The line along which the movement goes, the lines from the middle of the Heel to the Big Toe and along it, is called Meyer's Line. The Big Toe should do it's work along this line, if it is to do its best.
The following rules will not all be followed by many. They are suggested in spite of this.

The front part of the sole of the Shoe or Boot must be so designed that the Big Toe resting on it can keep its natural position. This rule is put first because it is the most commonly sinned against. In many Shoes the tip, instead of lying on the inner edge, is almost or quite in the middle or the sole. So the Big Toe is forced out of its natural position, and towards the middle, and the tip of it, instead of pointing straight forwards, thrusts itself towards the line of the sole as in 103 and 104.

This not only lessens the force of the backward-thrust of the Big-Toe as it leaves the ground in walking, but also turns the Big Tie, so that it lies all wrong; hence may come the 'in-grown Toe-Nail' (105)
103-105-jpg.5326
 
Sid, thanks for finding all those! If you can, want, could you separate those articles/studies to their own threads, and cross post to the Military forum where it applies?
 
  • Like
Reactions: Efrem
Sid, thanks for finding all those! If you can, want, could you separate those articles/studies to their own threads, and cross post to the Military forum where it applies?

I think that these articles when grouped together, tell a more coherent story, especially for someone who wants to read about the big toe (vs. sorting through individual threads). This may not be entirely obvious right now, since this thread is not connected to any real world examples, yet.

However, I'll be starting a new thread called "Running Along Meyer's Line" to connect this thread and the one on Meyer's Line.

Articles on Meyer's Line
http://www.thebarefootrunners.org/threads/articles-about-meyers-line.17657/

I updated the military forum here.
http://www.thebarefootrunners.org/t...-a-little-more-comfortable.17640/#post-167200
 
The Human Foot: Its Evolution, Physiology and Functional Disorders, 1935, Dudley J. Morton
http://www.vivobarefoot.com/us/discover/get-involved/barefoot-blog/july-2014/hello-mr$3-big-toe
Dorsal movement of the toes has the effect of increasing the tension of their muscles, and to such a degree that when the leverage effort of the foot against body weight has been completed, the subsequent toe flexion is strong enough to add a final elastic impetus to body movement which gives it smoothness and grace. At this point the stresses have been swung toward the first metatarsal bone so completely that the most important digital effort is performed by the great toe. The phase of bipedal locomotion undoubtedly accounts for the conspicuous size of that digit in man.
 
  • Like
Reactions: Barefoot TJ
THE TRAINING OF THE BODY FOR GAMES, ATHLETICS, GYMNASTICS, AND OTHER FORMS OF EXERCISE AND FOR HEALTH, GROWTH, AND DEVELOPMENT. SWAN SONNENSCHEIN, 1901
https://books.google.com/books?id=5SAMAAAAYAAJ&pg=PA136


103-105-jpg.5326
thats so disgusting, its a crime, however people are so stupid as to wear it so...

you can judge how stupid people are by looking at the shoes, specially heels with triangle endings

your articles are great Sid