Too much extensor tone: The banana toe.

Too much extensor tone.
We are often talking about the subtle balanced relationship of the long and short toe flexors and extensors. We often discuss that hammer toes are too much long flexor and short extensor tone (with too little in the short flexor and long extensor).
Here we see the opposite. We see too much long extensor tone (note the upward banana-shaped orientation of the big toe). When this foot is on the ground, the pad and distal 1/2 of the big toe does not even touch the ground, standing or in gait. IF you look closely at the blown up pic, you can sort of see (sorry, should have taken more pics) the increased callus development in the contact area of the short flexor attachment (FHB, flexor hallucis brevis).

This relationship is the opposite of the above with hammer toes. Too much long extensor, too much short flexor, and not enough long flexor and short extensor. These clients need more homework for long flexor and short extensor. This is one of the reasons why we developed the exercise below in the youtube link.