Second toe !
The second toe, next to the big toe, has three small bones (phalanges) and helps with balance and grip.
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What it is
The second toe, made of three small bones (phalanges).
What it does
The smaller toes help with balance and grip when you stand and walk.
Key facts
- Joints with
- Second metatarsal (MTP joint); proximal and distal interphalangeal joints
- Landmarks
- Three phalanges; FDL to distal, FDB to middle phalanx; extensor expansion; first and second dorsal interossei (both sides); lumbrical
Relations
- Behind
- Second metatarsal head and the plantar plate
- Medial
- Big toe; the first dorsal interosseous and the first lumbrical
- Lateral
- Third toe; the second dorsal interosseous
- Above
- Extensor digitorum longus and extensor digitorum brevis tendons forming the extensor hood
- Below
- Flexor digitorum longus and flexor digitorum brevis tendons; plantar digital nerves and arteries on each side
How to find it
The MTP joint is felt under the dorsal skin just behind the web. Tenderness under the second MTP joint, on the sole, points to the plantar plate or the capsule.
Examination
- Vertical stress (drawer) test: pushing the proximal phalanx upwards on the metatarsal head; excess movement or pain suggests plantar plate insufficiency
On imaging
Standing views show MTP subluxation and the toe's deviation; ultrasound or MRI shows plantar plate tears.
Common problems
- Hammer toe or claw toe: the toe bends up at the base and down at the middle joint, often with corns.
- Fractures from stubbing or dropping something on the toe.
Clinical notes
- The second toe can be transferred to the hand to rebuild a finger or a thumb
- Plantar plate tears are often preceded by pain under the second metatarsal head and swelling at the toe's base
Anatomical variants
- In many people the second toe reaches beyond the big toe (a 'Greek' or Morton's foot), usually because the first metatarsal is relatively short
Development
The toes separate when the cells between the digital rays of the embryonic foot plate die off; if this fails the toes stay joined (syndactyly), most often the second and third.
Related conditions
Test yourself
Think of the answer, then tap the question to see it.
Which toe is most often affected by hammer toe?
The second toe.
What causes a crossover second toe?
A plantar plate tear that lets the second toe drift up and towards the big toe, often with hallux valgus.
What does the vertical stress (drawer) test of the second toe assess?
Plantar plate insufficiency: excess movement or pain when the proximal phalanx is pushed upwards on the metatarsal head.
Educational information, not medical advice. For any symptom, see a health professional.
Its names
- Official Latin (TA2)
- digitus secundus pedis; phalanges pedis TA2 172
- Official Spanish (DeCS)
- Segundo dedo del pie DeCS D014034
- English (TA2)
- Second toe
- Also called
- second digit of foot · digit 2 of foot · phalangeal bones of foot
Related
- Second metatarsal
- Toe arteries
- Dorsal interossei
- Toe extensor tendons
- Extensor digitorum brevis
- Flexor digitorum brevis
- Toe flexor tendon
- Lumbricals
Sources: Terminologia Anatomica (TA2); DeCS; Anatomy, Bony Pelvis and Lower Limb: Foot and Ankle; 8.5 Development of the Appendicular Skeleton (OpenStax (Rice University), 2022) · adapted, CC BY 4.0.
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Representative model, for educational purposes only.
