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Updated: Apr 4, 2026
Clinical-oriented Three-dimensional Gait Analysis Method for Evaluating Gait Disorder
Published on: March 4, 2018
Femoroacetabular impingement syndrome is associated with alterations in hindfoot mechanics: A three-dimensional gait
Iftach Hetsroni1, Shany Funk2, David Ben-Sira2
1Department of Orthopedic Surgery, Meir General Hospital, Kfar Saba, Israel; Sackler Faculty of Medicine, Tel Aviv University, Tel Aviv, Israel.
Background:
Gait analysis studies in patients with femoroacetabular impingement syndrome focused until today on alterations in pelvic and hip mechanics, but distal articulations in this syndrome were not explored. Viewing the inter-relationships between foot and hip mechanics and the importance of the subtalar joint in load attenuation at heel strike and during forward propulsion thereafter, alterations in hindfoot mechanics in this syndrome may have clinical significance.
Methods:
Three-dimensional gait kinematics were explored with emphasis on hindfoot mechanics in a group of 15 men with cam-type femoroacetabular impingement and compared to 15 healthy men.
Findings:
Subjects with femoroacetabular impingement had decreased pelvic internal rotation (effect size=0.70) and hip abduction (effect size=0.86) at heel strike, and increased sagittal pelvic range of motion during the stance (effect size=0.81), compared to controls. At the hindfoot level, subjects with femoroacetabular impingement had inverted position at heel strike compared to neutral position in controls (effect size=0.89), and reduced maximum hindfoot eversion during the stance (effect size=0.72). Range of motion from heel strike to maximum eversion was not different between the groups (effect size=0.21).
Interpretation:
Young adult men with cam-type femoroacetabular impingement syndrome present excessively inverted hindfoot at the moment of heel strike and reduction in maximum eversion during the stance phase. Viewing the deleterious effects of hindfoot malalignment on load attenuation during the stance, custom-designed insoles may be a consideration in this population and this should be investigated further.
