Height of the foot longitudinal arch and anterior cruciate ligament injuries

OBJECTIVE To evaluate the association between the height of the medial longitudinal arch of the foot and non-contact injuries of the anterior cruciate ligament. METHODS One hundred and five patients were included in this case-control study. The case group consisted of 52 patients with non-contact injury of the anterior cruciate ligament. Fifty-three individuals with no history of symptoms regarding to feet or knees comprised the control group. An anthropometric assessment of the bony arch index was performed, which consisted of measuring the ratio of the height between the navicular bone to the ground and the distance from the most posterior support point of the calcaneus to the first metatarsal-phalangeal joint. Gender, height, weight, body mass index and the frequency of sports practice were also evaluated. RESULTS Subjects in the case group had significantly higher medial longitudinal arches than individuals in the control group. CONCLUSION Individuals with rupture of the anterior cruciate ligament had higher arches than the corresponding controls, suggesting an association between a high medial longitudinal arch of the foot and injury of the anterior cruciate ligament. Level of Evidence III, Case-Control Study.