Role of Hip Internal Rotation Range and Foot Progression Angle for Preventing Jones Fracture During Crossover Cutting

Jones fracture is a common injury in soccer players, caused by overload on the fifth metatarsal (M5) that can occur during crossover cutting. This study aimed to investigate the effects of the hip internal rotation (HIR) range in passive and dynamic conditions and foot progression angle (FPA) on the forces applied to the M5 during crossover cutting. The study included 20 men with experience playing soccer. The passive HIR was measured in the prone position. A 3-dimensional motion analysis system, force plates, and Footscan were used to measure the angle of the lower limb, including dynamic HIR, FPA, and plantar pressure to the M5, during crossover cutting in the 45° direction. Pearson correlation coefficient was measured to examine the relationship between variables. Passive and dynamic HIR were not related to the plantar pressure on the M5 (P > .05). However, increased FPA in movement direction correlated with a reduction in plantar pressure on the M5 (r = -.56, P < .01). Minimizing the FPA with respect to the new direction during crossover cutting reduced plantar pressure on the M5 and thus could prevent Jones fracture.