In this study, alterations of heel strike angle (HSA) and plantarflexion velocity (PFV) in the sagittal plane due to wearing different shoe conditions was examined. By this, adaptation in running style as a mechanism of shock attenuation should be investigated. Methods Twenty-four male, injury-free recreational runners (age: 24.8 ± 2.5 years, height: 177.7 ± 5.8 cm, weight: 73.1 ± 7.1 kg) parti...

The large majority of prosthetic feet are aimed at low-heeled shoes, with a few models allowing a heel height of up to 5 cm. However, a survey by the American Podiatric Medical Association indicates that most women wear heels over 5 cm; thus, current prosthetic feet limit most female prosthesis users in their choice. Some prosthetic foot components are heel-height adjustable; however, their pla...

Although wearing high-heeled shoes has long been considered a risk factor for the development for patellofemoral pain (PFP) in women, patellofemoral joint kinetics during high-heeled gait has not been examined. The purpose of this study was to determine if heel height increases patellofemoral joint loading during walking. Eleven healthy women (mean age 25.0±3.1 yrs) participated. Lower extremit...

This study investigated the feasibility of gait recognition using points on the body in threedimensional (3D) space based on comparisons of four different feature vectors. To obtain the point trajectories on the body in 3D, gait motion data were captured from 10 participants using a 3D motion capture system, and four shoes with different heel heights were used to study the effects of heel heigh...

BACKGROUND Foot problems are prevalent in older women and are thought to be associated with footwear. This study examined women's shoe wearing patterns over time and evaluated associations between footwear characteristics and foot pain and hallux valgus. METHODS Women aged 50-89 years (n = 2,627) completed a survey that included drawings of four toe-box shapes and four heel heights. For each ...

Women are interested to wear high-heeled shoes to increase their attractiveness. High-heeled shoes might create harmful effects on the musculoskeletal system. Besides earlier studies proved that the function of foot and lower extremity will change due to wearing highheeled shoes [1,2]. Because of limitations of the experimental methods, direct measurements of internal strains and stresses of th...

BACKGROUND While minimalist running shoes may have an influence on running biomechanics and on the incidence of overuse injuries, the term "minimalist" is currently used without standardisation. The objectives of this study were to reach a consensus on a standard definition of minimalist running shoes, and to develop and validate a rating scale that could be used to determine the degree of mini...

Introduction: High heel shoes affect the knee joint and can cause arthritis in the tibiofemoral (TFJ) and patellofemoral joints (PFJ). There is a dearth of research investigating the contact forces of TFJ and PFJ. Therefore, the purpose of this study was to assess the effect of high heel shoes on muscle forces as well as TFJ, and PFJ contact forces during walking.   Materials & Methods: A tot...

CHICAGO — Many of today's running shoes feature a heavy cushioned heel. New research presented today at the 2013 Annual Meeting of the American Academy of Orthopaedic Surgeons (AAOS) found that these shoes may alter an adolescent runner's biomechanics (the forces exerted by muscles and gravity on the skeletal structure) and diminish performance. Researchers recruited 12 adolescent competitive a...