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Prenatal and postnatal growth and development of the foot and ankle

D B Bernhardt1

  • 1Department of Curriculum and Teaching, School of Education, Boston University, MA 02215.

Physical Therapy
|December 1, 1988
PubMed

Insights

This study details lower limb and ankle-foot complex development, exploring how physical forces impact growth. It examines abnormal loading effects and outlines therapeutic strategies for correcting foot deformities.

Area of Science:

  • Orthopedics
  • Developmental Biology
  • Biomechanics

Background:

  • Normal prenatal and postnatal development of the lower limb is crucial for function.
  • The ankle-foot complex is particularly sensitive to external forces during development.
  • Understanding developmental mechanics is key to identifying and treating deformities.

Purpose of the Study:

  • To provide a comprehensive overview of lower limb and ankle-foot complex development.
  • To analyze the influence of physiologic load (duration, timing, direction) on growth.
  • To elucidate the impact of abnormal loading and establish principles for deformity correction.

Main Methods:

  • Review of developmental processes in the lower limb.
  • Analysis of biomechanical principles related to physical load.
  • Case examples illustrating the effects of abnormal loading on foot development.

Main Results:

  • Physiologic load significantly influences prenatal and postnatal lower limb growth.
  • Abnormal loading patterns can lead to various foot deformities.
  • Specific force application principles can reverse existing deformities.

Conclusions:

  • Load is a critical factor in normal and abnormal lower limb development.
  • Understanding load dynamics is essential for managing foot deformities.
  • Therapeutic forces offer a viable approach to correcting developmental foot deformities.

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