The Association Between Foot Morphology and Foot Loading During Gait

Area of Science:

• Biomechanics
• Orthopedics
• Sports Medicine

Background:

• Foot type is often linked to injury risk, leading to various assessment methods.
• Understanding how these methods relate to actual foot loading during gait is crucial.

Purpose of the Study:

• To evaluate the effectiveness of six distinct foot typing methods in explaining regional foot loading variations.
• To assess these associations in asymptomatic adults during gait, considering covariates like age, sex, and walking speed.

Main Methods:

• Six foot typing methods were applied to 92 asymptomatic adults.
• An insole pressure sensor system recorded foot loading during treadmill walking.
• Generalized estimating equations (GEE) analyzed the association between foot type and regional loading, controlling for covariates.

Main Results:

• Variability was observed in how foot type correlated with regional foot loading.
• Arch Index and X-Ray Arch Type linked to hindfoot/midfoot loading; Foot Posture Index to medial midfoot/forefoot/toe loading.
• Calcaneal Pitch and Meary's Angle related to medial hindfoot/midfoot/forefoot loading; Varus/valgus angle to forefoot/toe loading.

Conclusions:

• Specific foot typing methods demonstrate stronger correlations with loading in particular foot regions.
• Walking speed, age, and sex significantly influence the relationship between plantar loading and foot type.
• These findings suggest tailored use of foot typing methods for evaluating regional injury risk.