What is turf toe? Our son plays football for his college team and says he’s out the next game because of turf toe.

Turf toe is an injury to the big toe. The toe gets bent back so far the joint capsule gets torn. Jamming the toe or pushing off from the big toe are also common causes of this problem. The toe may be only sprained but fracture can also occur.

The most common cause of turf toe is when an athlete stubs or jams his toe on the field. Artificial turf is the culprit here. The playing surface gives players much better grip. The foot doesn’t slide and gets stuck more easily.

This type of injury can still occur on any surface, not just artificial turf. The special shoes worn by many players gives them such grip, they can’t always make quick direction changes. Football, soccer, or rugby players seem to be affected by turf toe the most often.

Poor shoe fit can also contribute to the problem. You can’t do much about the playing surface, but getting a proper shoe size can help. The toe box where the toes rest inside the shoe should not be so long or so wide that the foot slides in the shoe, pressing the toes up against the edge of the box.