Forefoot Injuries in Dancers

Dancers, particularly ballet dancers, are artists and athletes. In dance, the choreographer acts as a sculptor, using the dancer as a medium of expression. This often entails placing the dancer's body in positions that require extraordinary flexibility and movement, which requires controlled power and endurance. Ballet and other forms of dance can be highly demanding activities, with a lifetime injury incidence of up to 90%. Ballet is stressful particularly on the dancer's forefoot. The en pointe position of maximal plantarflexion through the forefoot, midfoot, and hindfoot requires tremendous flexibility and strength that only can be attained safely through many years of training. The forces experienced by the toes and metatarsals are extraordinary.