The medial longitudinal arch plays a major role in determining lower extremity kinematics. Thus, it is necessary to understand the dynamics of the arch structure in response to load. The purpose of this study was to examine arch function in high- and low-arched feet during a vertical loading condition. Ten high- and ten low-arched females performed five trials in a sit-to-stand exercise. Ground reaction force (1200 Hz) and three-dimensional kinematics (240 Hz) were collected simultaneously. The high-and low-arched athletes had no differences in vertical deformation of the arch. High-arched participants were less everted than the low-arched athletes; furthermore, the high-arched athletes had smaller mid-forefoot eversion excursions. Differences between the high-arched and low-arched athletes occur through and motion at the mid-forefoot joint.
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Effects of Vertical Loading on Arch Characteristics and Intersegmental Foot Motions
Douglas W. Powell, Benjamin Long, Clare E. Milner, and Songning Zhang
Effect of Foot Orthoses on Running Economy and Foot Longitudinal Arch Motion in Runners With Flat-Arched Feet
Daniel Crago, John B. Arnold, and Christopher Bishop
ligaments to store and return mechanical energy during the stance phase by increasing lower body stiffness has also shown to improve RE, 6 , 7 with estimations that the VO 2 submax might be up to 30% to 40% higher without contributions from soft tissue energy storage and return. 8 The longitudinal arch (LA
Relationships Between Arch Height Flexibility and Medial–Lateral Ground Reaction Forces in Rearfoot and Forefoot Strike Runners
Caleb D. Johnson and Irene S. Davis
The relationship between measures of foot arch function and musculoskeletal injuries in recreational runners and military personnel has been reported in several previous studies. 1 – 6 Much of this work has focused on the height of the medial longitudinal arch, often characterized by the arch
Osteoarthritic Tibiofemoral Joint Contact Characteristics During Weightbearing With Arch-Supported and Standalone Lateral Wedge Insoles
Calvin T.F. Tse, Michael B. Ryan, Natasha M. Krowchuk, Alexander Scott, and Michael A. Hunt
progression is plentiful, the KAM is an external measurement of the loading environment and may not capture completely what may be occurring internally within the tibiofemoral joint. Lateral wedge insoles (LWIs), standalone and with medial arch support (supported-LWIs), are a form of conservative treatment
The Efficacy of a Pneumatic Compression Device in the Treatment of Plantar Fasciitis
Steven J. Kavros
Plantar fasciitis is a common foot disorder that affects more than two million Americans each year. Conservative management of plantar fasciitis is the first line of treatment by the medical specialist who frequently encounters this common foot complaint. In this study, 50 patients with plantar fasciitis of 4 weeks duration but less than 12 weeks were randomized into two groups. One group of 25 patients used the AirHeel (Aircast, Inc.) and the second group of 25 used the 1st Step prefabricated foot insert (Wrymark, Inc). Standardized weight-bearing radiographs were obtained in order to categorize the foot type: normal arch, pes planus, or pes cavus. Patients were initially evaluated and at 12 weeks they returned for a subsequent visit. The contact area of the foot with the AirHeel and 1st Step insert were similar, an increase of 27% and 26%, respectively, over the contact area barefoot. There was a noted difference in force reduction with the two devices. The AirHeel reduced the midstance force by 20.19%, as compared to the 1st Step insert which showed a 1.03% increase in midstance force. Patients with a higher initial pain score seemed to respond better initially to the AirHeel (p = 0.015) than the 1st Step insert (p = 0.035). This study demonstrates the benefits of offloading the foot at midstance with two devices to relieve the discomfort associated with plantar fasciitis. The Aircast AirHeel is a new modality for dynamic, functional treatment of proximal plantar fasciitis.
Jump-Rope Training: Improved 3-km Time-Trial Performance in Endurance Runners via Enhanced Lower-Limb Reactivity and Foot-Arch Stiffness
Felipe García-Pinillos, Carlos Lago-Fuentes, Pedro A. Latorre-Román, Antonio Pantoja-Vallejo, and Rodrigo Ramirez-Campillo
, reactivity, arch stiffness, and 3-km time-trial performance. Methods Subjects A total of 96 amateur endurance runners (51 males and 45 females; age range: 18−40 y) successfully completed the study (Table 1 ). Participants met the following inclusion criteria: (1) should be 18 years and older; (2) able to
Lower Extremity Kinematic and Kinetic Differences in Runners with High and Low Arches
Dorsey S. Williams III, Irene S. McClay, Joseph Hamill, and Thomas S. Buchanan
High- and low-arched feet have long been thought to function differently. The purpose of this study was to investigate the relationship between arch structure and lower extremity mechanics in runners with extreme pes planus and pes cavus. It was hypothesized that low-arched individuals would exhibit an increased rearfoot eversion excursion, eversion/tibial internal rotation ratio, and increased angular velocity in rearfoot eversion when compared to high-arched runners. In addition, it was hypothesized that high-arched runners would exhibit greater vertical loading rates. Twenty high-arched and 20 low-arched runners with histories of running-related injuries were included in this study. Low-arched runners were found to have increased rearfoot eversion excursion, eversion to tibial internal rotation ratio, and rearfoot eversion velocity. High-arched runners had increased vertical loading rate when compared to low-arched runners. These results suggest that arch structure is associated with specific lower extremity kinematics and kinetics. Differences in these parameters may subsequently lead to differences in injury patterns in high-arched and low-arched runners.
The Midfoot Joint Complex (Foot Arch) Contributes to the Upper Body Position in Bipedal Walking and Coordinates With the Lower Limb Joints
Leonardo D. Barsante, Paula M.M. Arantes, Daniela V. Vaz, Fabricio A. Magalhães, Diego S. Carvalho, Aline C. Cruz, Renan A. Resende, Juliana M. Ocarino, Sérgio T. Fonseca, and Thales R. Souza
The mechanical contributions of the midfoot joint complex (MJC) and the foot arch to bipedalism have been thoroughly investigated. MJC kinetic variables such as joint moments, arch spring properties, and plantar muscle activity have been described. 1 – 3 According to these studies, MJC kinetics
Dynamic Postures of the Transverse Metacarpal Arch During Typing
Nancy A. Baker, Kaihua Xiu, Krissy Moehling, and Zong-Ming Li
The purpose of this paper is to describe the transverse metacarpal arch (TMA) during a dynamic typing task. Static/relaxed and dynamic typing TMA were collected from 36 right-handed females with musculoskeletal discomfort using a motion capture system. While the angle of right TMA static/relaxed posture (10.1° ± 5.5°) was significantly larger than the left (8.5° ± 5.6°) (P < .05), the right dynamic posture (10.6° ± 4.3°) was not significantly different from the left (10.3° ± 5.5°) (P = .66). Within both these mean scores, there was considerable individual variation, with some subjects demonstrating very flat TMA, and some very curved. The results indicate that TMA angular postures both for static/relaxed and dynamic typing are highly variable both between individuals and between individual hands.
Effect of Isometric Hip Abduction on Foot and Ankle Muscle Activity and Medial Longitudinal Arch During Short-Foot Exercise in Individuals With Pes Planus
Jung-Hoon Choi, Heon-Seock Cynn, Chung-Hwi Yi, Tae-Lim Yoon, and Seung-Min Baik
Pes planus, a pronated foot, is often attended by a calcaneal eversion and abducted forefoot, as well as flattening or lowering of the medial longitudinal arch (MLA). 1 During weight-bearing activities, the foot is stabilized by maintaining the MLA via passive support (bony structure and
