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Foot morphology development with age
F Forriol Campos1, J P Maiques, C Dankloff
1Departamento Ciencias Morfológicas y Cirugía, Universidad Alcalá de Henares, Madrid, Spain.
Gegenbaurs Morphologisches Jahrbuch
|January 1, 1990
Summary
Children under 6 often have low foot arches, as shown by footprint analysis. This tendency was observed in both boys and girls, indicating a normal developmental stage.
Area of Science:
- Pediatrics
- Podiatry
- Orthopedics
Background:
- Foot arch development is a critical aspect of pediatric musculoskeletal development.
- Understanding typical arch development helps in identifying potential developmental abnormalities.
- Previous studies have explored various foot morphology metrics in children.
Purpose of the Study:
- To analyze the developmental changes in foot arch morphology in school-aged children.
- To establish normative data for foot arch parameters across different age groups.
- To investigate age-related differences in footprint measures.
Main Methods:
- A cross-sectional study involving 1676 school children (663 boys, 1013 girls) aged 3-17 years.
- Utilized three footprint measurement techniques: Clarke's footprint angle, Chippaux-Smirak footprint index, and Staheli's arch index.
- Podograms from both feet were analyzed to assess foot arch characteristics.
Main Results:
- Significant age-related differences were observed in all measured footprint parameters.
- A notable tendency for a low internal arch was found in both sexes during early childhood (up to ages 5-6).
- Foot arch development shows a clear progression with increasing age.
Conclusions:
- The study provides evidence of evolving foot arch morphology during childhood.
- A low internal arch in early childhood appears to be a common developmental finding.
- These findings contribute to understanding normal pediatric foot development and may aid in clinical assessment.