Relationships between Plantar Pressure Distribution and Rearfoot Alignment in the Taiwanese College Athletes with Plantar Fasciopathy during Static Standing and Walking

Tong-Hsien Chow, Yih-Shyuan Chen and Chin-Chia Hsu
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Tong-Hsien Chow: Department of Leisure Sport and Health Management, St. John’s University, New Taipei 25135, Taiwan
Yih-Shyuan Chen: Department of Education, National Pingtung University, Pingtung 900391, Taiwan
Chin-Chia Hsu: Department of Leisure Sport and Health Management, St. John’s University, New Taipei 25135, Taiwan

IJERPH, 2021, vol. 18, issue 24, 1-18

Abstract: Background: Plantar fasciopathy (PF) is usually related to changes in foot arch, foot shape and rearfoot posture. However, little research has been implemented by using large-scale datasets, and even less has been conducted centering on plantar pressure distributions (PPDs) of different genders of PF athletes. This study aimed to investigate the relationships among the arch index (AI), the PPDs and the rearfoot postural alignment in hundreds of college athletes with PF during static standing and walking. Methods: Cross-sectional study of 100 male and 102 female athletes with PF was undertaken. The PF athletes’ pain assessment and self-reported health status were examined for evaluating their musculoskeletal painful areas. Results: The PF athletes’ PPDs mainly concentrated on inner feet in static standing, and transferred to lateral forefeet during the midstance phase of walking. The males’ PPDs from the static standing to the midstance phase of walking mainly transferred to anterolateral feet. The females’ PPDs mainly transferred to posterolateral feet. The PF athletes’ static rearfoot alignment matched the valgus posture pattern. The medial band of plantar fascia and calcaneus were the common musculoskeletal pain areas. Conclusions: Characteristics of higher plantar loads beneath medial feet associated with rearfoot valgus in bipedal static stance could be the traceable features for PF-related foot diagrams. Higher plantar loads mainly exerted on the lateral forefoot during the midstance phase of walking, and specifically concentrated on outer feet during the transition from static to dynamic state. Pain profiles seem to echo PPDs, which could function as the traceable beginning for the possible link among pronated low-arched feet, PF, metatarsalgia, calcanitis and Achilles tendinitis.

Keywords: plantar fasciopathy (PF); plantar pressure distributions (PPDs); arch index (AI); rearfoot postural alignment; pronated low-arched foot (search for similar items in EconPapers)
JEL-codes: I I1 I3 Q Q5 (search for similar items in EconPapers)
Date: 2021
References: View references in EconPapers View complete reference list from CitEc
Citations: View citations in EconPapers (1)

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