Plantar pressures during level walking compared with other ambulatory activities

Area of Science:

• Biomechanics
• Human movement analysis
• Podiatry

Background:

• Understanding plantar pressure distribution is crucial for diagnosing foot pathologies and designing appropriate footwear.
• Variations in gait and activity can significantly alter plantar pressure patterns.
• Limited research exists comparing plantar pressures across diverse activities beyond level walking.

Purpose of the Study:

• To quantify and compare maximum plantar pressure (MPP) and pressure-time integral (PTI) during level walking versus stair climbing (up and down), simple pivot walking, and crossover pivot walking.
• To identify specific foot regions (metatarsal and heel) experiencing the greatest pressure variations across these activities.

Main Methods:

• Twelve healthy volunteers (6 male, 6 female, mean age 28) participated in the study.
• Plantar pressures were measured using an EMED-SF pressure sensor platform on the dominant foot.
• Subjects performed five activities barefoot: level walking, climbing stairs, descending stairs, simple pivot, and crossover pivot.

Main Results:

• Maximum plantar pressure (MPP) and pressure-time integral (PTI) were highest in the metatarsal and heel regions across all activities.
• Statistically significant differences in MPP and PTI were observed between the five experimental conditions in both metatarsal and heel regions.
• Plantar pressures (MPP and PTI) were decreased in the heel during stair descent.
• Plantar pressures (MPP and PTI) were increased in the metatarsal region during simple pivot and crossover pivot walking.

Conclusions:

• Plantar pressure distribution varies significantly depending on the activity performed.
• Descending stairs reduces heel pressure, while pivoting activities increase metatarsal pressure.
• These findings provide valuable data for understanding foot loading mechanics during different functional tasks.