Hallux

What the ancient Romans called the big toe. Since hallux was a good enough word for the big toe among the ancient Romans, it has long done yeoman's duty in medicine. Abnormalities of the big toe tend thus to be called hallux this-or-that. For example, hallux valgus and hallux varus. In hallux valgus, the big toe is bent outward (valgus) so it overlaps the 2nd toe. In hallux varus, the big toe is bent inward (varus) at the joint.

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SYN: great toe I. [a Mod. L. form for L. hallex (hallic-), great toe]

- h. dolorosus a condition, usually associated with flatfoot, in which walking causes severe pain in the metatarsophalangeal joint of the great toe. SYN: painful toe.

- h. extensus a deformity in which the great toe is held rigidly in the extended position.

- h. flexus SYN: h. malleus.

- h. malleus hammer toe involving the first toe. SYN: h. flexus.

- h. rigidus a condition in which stiffness appears in the first metatarsophalangeal joint; usually associated with the development of bone spurs on the dorsal surface. SYN: stiff toe.

- h. valgus a deviation of the tip of the great toe, or main axis of the toe, toward the outer or lateral side of the foot.

- h. varus deviation of the main axis of the great toe to the inner side of the foot away from the second toe.

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hal·lux 'hal-əks n, pl hal·lu·ces 'hal-(y)ə-.sēz the innermost digit (as the big toe in humans) of a hind or lower limb

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n. (pl. halluces)

the big toe.

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hal·lux (halґəks) gen. halґlucis pl. halґluces [L.] [TA] the great toe, or first digit of the foot; called also digitus primus (I) pedis [TA alternative]. hallucal adj