Prevalence of Morton’s toe and assessment of the associated risk factors: a cross-sectional study

Abstract

Morton’s toe results in an uneven distribution of pressure across the feet. Awareness about Morton’s toe and its associated risk factors is clinically important. Although studies have reported the prevalence of Morton’s toe, not many studies appear in literature discussing its impact on the associated risk factors such as hammertoe, bunion deformity, overpronation and plantar fasciitis, respectively. Hence, we have undertaken this study to analyze the prevalence of Morton’s toe in the Gulf region to assess its impact on the foot. A cross-sectional descriptive epidemiological study was carried out between November 2021 and December 2022 on the feet of 100 individuals (male=50; female=50) with ages ranging from 17 to 75 years. The study included the Bahraini & non-Bahraini residents. Individuals with severe foot injuries and deformities resulting from surgery were excluded. A total of 56 Morton’s toe cases (male=18; female=38) were noted in the study sample. The overall prevalence of Morton’s toe was 28% and majority of the participants with Morton’s toe were females (67.9%). Of 56 Morton’s toe cases, the majority were seen in the age group from 30 to 40 years, particularly in females. Our findings clearly showed a significant association between Morton’s toe and hammertoe (p=0.044), bunion and usage of high heels (p<0.001), respectively. However, the association between Morton’s toe and other risk factors such as plantar fasciitis and overpronation of the foot were found to be statistically nonsignificant (p>0.05). Our study provides baseline data for the first time on the prevalence of Morton’s toe and associated risk factors.