Relative movement of the navicular bone during normal walking

Area of Science:

• Biomechanics
• Orthopedics
• Human locomotion

Background:

• The navicular bone is a crucial component of the foot's medial arch.
• Understanding its dynamic behavior during gait is essential for diagnosing and treating foot pathologies.
• Previous research has focused on static positions, with limited data on dynamic navicular bone movement.

Purpose of the Study:

• To quantify the pattern and magnitude of navicular bone (NB) movement during walking.
• To investigate the relationship between dynamic NB motion and rearfoot kinematics.

Main Methods:

• Electromagnetic tracking system (6D Research) used to record rearfoot angle and NB displacement.
• 106 healthy subjects participated in the study during normal walking.
• Measurements captured key phases of the stance, including foot flat and heel-off.

Main Results:

• The navicular bone exhibited a relative height change of 7.9 mm between foot flat and heel-off.
• Significant vertical and medial displacement of the NB was observed during the stance phase.
• Navicular bone motion demonstrated a correlation with rearfoot motion during walking.

Conclusions:

• The navicular bone undergoes substantial dynamic movement during normal walking.
• This dynamic NB motion is intrinsically linked to rearfoot kinematics.
• Findings provide insights into foot biomechanics and may inform clinical assessments.