Abstract
Hallux valgus is a serious medical concern for classical ballet dancers. Although it is well-known that progression of hallux valgus is related to inappropriate movement techniques in classical ballet, the kinematic relationship between the degree of hallux valgus and ballet techniques has not been substantiated. To develop proper training methods that prevent progression of hallux valgus, this study aimed to investigate the relationship between the degree of hallux valgus and movement techniques in classical ballet. Seventeen female classical ballet dancers at the advanced college-level participated in this study. Kinematic analysis of standing and plié in the first position was conducted via video capture technique. The Pearson product-moment correlation analysis was performed to examine the degree of hallux valgus and the following three kinematic variables: (1) the extent to which turnout is forced by other joints in the lower extremity than the hip joint, (2) the direction difference between the knee and toe in the transverse plane, and (3) the pelvis obliquity angle. Among these kinematic variables, we found a significant correlation between the hallux valgus angle and the pelvis obliquity angle during plié (P = .045). The greater the hallux valgus angle, the greater the retroversion of the pelvis, a result which was contrary to our prediction. We present the first evidence that the degree of hallux valgus correlates with kinematics in a very basic technique of classical ballet.
Highlights
Hallux valgus is a foot deformity characterized by malalignment of the first intermetatarsal and metatarsophalangeal joints, usually progressing irreversibly over a long period [1,2,3,4]
We expected that movement kinematics that characterize or associate with such forced turnout would be correlated with the degree of hallux valgus. We investigated this correlation during static and dynamic basic ballet techniques
We found a significant correlation between the hallux valgus angle and the pelvis obliquity angle during plie (Fig 4B)
Summary
Hallux valgus is a foot deformity characterized by malalignment of the first intermetatarsal and metatarsophalangeal joints, usually progressing irreversibly over a long period [1,2,3,4]. Etiological studies of hallux valgus have revealed that it results from complex factors, including proximal joint malalignment [5, 6], hypermobility [7,8,9,10], footwear [11], inheritance [12], and/or inappropriate movement technique [13]. Morbidity of hallux valgus is reported to be higher in dancers of various dance. Hallux valgus and kinematics in classical ballet design, data collection and analysis, decision to publish, or preparation of the manuscript
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