Trigger toe

A trigger toe (or hallux saltans if it involves the 1^st toe) refers to an uncommon situation where active plantar flexion causes the toes to catch in flexion and the patient is then unable to extend them. It can arise from a number of pathologies and if it involves the great (1^st) toe a common pathology includes stenosing tenosynovitis of the flexor hallucis longus at the fibro-osseous tunnel below the sustentaculum tali. It can be common in ballet dancers. If there is an associated stenosing structure, surgical excision of the stenosing structures is the treatment of choice.