BACKGROUND All typically developing children are born with flexible flat feet, progressively developing a medial longitudinal arch during the first decade of their lives. Whilst the child's foot is expected to be flat, there is currently no consensus as to how flat this foot should be. Furthermore, whilst feet are observed to decrease in flatness with increasing age, it is not known how flat th...

BACKGROUND There are several clinical and radiological methods available to classify foot posture in research, however there is no clear strategy for selecting the most appropriate measurements. Therefore, the aim of this study was to develop a foot screening protocol to distinguish between participants with normal- and flat-arched feet who would then subsequently be recruited into a series of ...

Methods Ten healthy older people with a pronated foot posture (age 67.1± 5.5 years) and sixteen healthy elderly with normal foot posture (age 67.1± 5.9 years) were recruited. The Foot Posture Index (FPI) was used to determine pronated and normal foot posture. Static balance in double limb stance was assessed using Kistler force plate measures during four shod conditions: 1) 5° medial heel and f...

BACKGROUND Foot disorders are common in older adults and associated with impaired lower extremity function. Reduced muscle mass may play a role in the etiology of foot disorders and consequent poor function. METHODS We examined the association of leg lean mass with foot pain, posture and function among 1,795 individuals (mean age 67 years) from the population-based Framingham Foot Study (2002...

BACKGROUND Foot posture has long been considered to contribute to the development of lower limb musculoskeletal conditions as it may alter the mechanical alignment and dynamic function of the lower limb. This study compared foot posture in people with and without medial compartment knee osteoarthritis (OA) using a range of clinical foot measures. The reliability of the foot measures was also as...

OBJECTIVES To compare foot posture in people with and without medial compartment knee osteoarthritis (OA), and to assess association between its abnormalities and medial compartment knee OA. METHODS We compared the foot posture of patients with clinically and radiographically-confirmed medial compartment knee OA and asymptomatic healthy controls using the foot posture index (FPI), navicular h...

Background Foot posture has been suggested to be related to the development of lower-limb musculoskeletal conditions because of its potential influence on the mechanical alignment and dynamic function of the lower limb. During most weight bearing activities, the posture and motion of the foot and knee are coupled within a closed kinematic chain. The exact relationship, however, between them in ...

Concern about a child's foot posture is a common reason for frequent consultations for an array of health care professionals; sports medicine specialists are often the first to recognize and advise on foot pathology. In the decision making process, it is essential to distinguish between the different types of flatfoot deformity: paediatric or adult, congenital or acquired, flexible or rigid. Al...

Background The paediatric flat foot is a common concern and has long been regarded as a problem, and feared to be potentially disabling. Definition of what exactly constitutes a flat foot remains surprisingly debatable, given its common presentation. Estimates of flat foot prevalence in children have been influenced by the varied the methods of assessment used to assess the foot posture, and th...