Sports Medicine · Clinical Decision Maker

CASE 002
GREAT TOE INJURY

TURF TOE · BASKETBALL

He's asking to go back in. Examine the findings, make five decisions, and explore how different choices affect the clinical pathway.

Illustrative side view of the great toe and first metatarsophalangeal joint with a magnified view identifying the plantar plate and sesamoids. Not a diagnostic image.
Illustrative anatomy · First MTP joint, plantar plate and sesamoid complex
Case snapshot

A collegiate basketball player plants the forefoot during a drive. The great toe is forcibly dorsiflexed. He reports plantar first-MTP pain and asks to return.

Clinical evidence and limitations

This is an educational branching simulation, not a validated diagnostic algorithm or return-to-play clearance instrument. Findings are fictional. Management must be individualized by a qualified clinician, with imaging/referral when indicated. Severity cannot be reliably graded from one test alone.

References: Turf toe clinical reviews (PubMed) · Return-to-sport literature (PubMed). This case emphasizes plantar plate integrity, joint stability, symptom response, imaging when warranted, and graded sport-specific function.