Ankle and Midfoot Power During Single-Limb Heel Rise in Healthy Adults

Area of Science:

• Biomechanics
• Human Movement Analysis
• Musculoskeletal Physiology

Background:

• Single-limb heel rise performance is typically attributed to ankle function.
• The role of the midfoot in this task is often underestimated.
• Understanding foot mechanics is crucial for assessing functional mobility.

Purpose of the Study:

• To investigate the power contribution of the midfoot region during single-limb heel rise in healthy adults.
• To quantify the relationship between midfoot power generation and heel height.
• To emphasize the clinical relevance of midfoot function in heel-rise tasks.

Main Methods:

• Utilized an electromagnetic motion capture system and force plate for data acquisition.
• Recorded 3-segment foot motion and ground reaction forces from 12 healthy participants.
• Performed inverse dynamic calculations to determine ankle and midfoot power, correlating midfoot power with heel height.

Main Results:

• The midfoot demonstrated power generation during single-limb heel rise, with a peak positive power of 0.5 ± 0.2 W·kg-1.
• Midfoot peak power explained 36% of the variance in heel height (P = .04).
• These findings indicate a significant role for the midfoot in achieving optimal heel-rise performance.

Conclusions:

• The midfoot is an active contributor to power generation during single-limb heel rise.
• Midfoot tissue loading and muscle performance are critical factors for clinical and modeling applications of the heel-rise task.
• Re-evaluating the biomechanical model of heel rise to include midfoot contributions is recommended.