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Flat Foot and Postural Harmony in 6-Year-Old Caucasians: What is Their Relationship?
Teresa Paolucci1, Letizia Pezzi1, Alice Mannocci2
1Unit of Physical Medicine and Rehabilitation, Department of Medical and Oral Sciences and Biotechnologies, University G. D'Annunzio Chieti-Pescara, Chieti, Italy.
Objective:
To determine whether asymptomatic flexible flat feet show specific postural assessment with respect to neutral feet in 6-year-old children.
Methods:
In this cross-sectional observational study, 164 subjects were observed and divided into two groups: 57 with flexible flat feet and 107 with neutral feet. A non-quantitative inspection by podoscopy and baropodometry were performed to evaluate plantar support, and a clinical examination to assess postural setting.
Results:
The prevalence of flexible flat feet was 34.8%. The differenceinthe mean centre of pressure (CoP) between the two groups was significant (p=0.028), regarding the antero-posterior direction of CoP only. There was no significant differencein the presence of postural growth disharmony between the neutral and flat-feet groups.
Conclusion:
The flattening of the plantar archseems to be linked to a displacement of CoP Y, more posterior in flat feet than in neutral feet; on the other hand, postural harmony in 6-year-old children during growth is not influenced by flat feet.
