Functional assessments of foot strength: a comparative and repeatability study

Area of Science:

• Biomechanics
• Kinesiology
• Clinical Assessment

Background:

• Assessing intrinsic and extrinsic foot muscle strength is clinically relevant but methodologically challenging.
• Existing methods often lack clear guidelines, particularly for novel techniques like the foot doming test.

Purpose of the Study:

• To assess the repeatability and comparability of functional foot strength assessment techniques.
• To refine methodologies for evaluating foot muscle strength in clinical settings.

Main Methods:

• Forty healthy volunteers underwent two testing sessions with a two-week practice period for the doming motion.
• Evaluated seven measurements using custom dynamometers (seated toe flexion, standing doming) and a pressure mat (standing).
• Assessed reliability (ICC), learning effects (t-tests), comparability (correlations), and muscle activation (EMG).

Main Results:

• The doming test demonstrated excellent within-session reliability but a significant learning effect.
• Toe flexion tests exhibited excellent reliability; seated tests correlated moderately with standing tests.
• Standing toe flexion on a pressure mat showed greater functional relevance and slightly higher forces/reliability than isolated seated flexion.

Conclusions:

• The study refines methodologies for functional foot strength testing.
• Developed devices and protocols are suitable for clinical evaluation and monitoring of rehabilitation progress in patients with foot muscle weakness.