Abstract
Background/purposeThe biomechanical effects of foot orthoses (FOs) with and without a lateral bar compared to a control condition during walking at different speeds are still unknown. The objective of this study was to compare the biomechanical effects of functional FOs with and without a lateral bar to a control condition during comfortable walking in individuals with cavus feet and determine if their effects change at a fast speed.MethodsFifteen individuals with cavus feet (age: 25.3 ± 5.8 yrs) walked under two experimental conditions (FOs with and without a lateral bar) and a control condition (shoes only) at comfortable (CW) and fast (FW) speeds. The outcome measures were ankle and knee angles and gluteus medius, vastus lateralis, gastrocnemius lateralis, gastrocnemius medialis, peroneus longus and tibialis anterior electromyography (EMG) amplitudes during the stance phase of walking and were compared between the FOs and a control condition using one-dimensional statistical parametric mapping.ResultsDuring CW, both FOs decreased ankle dorsiflexion and increased knee extension angles compared to no FOs. FOs with a lateral bar also decreased peroneus longus EMG amplitudes. During FW, FOs with and without a lateral bar decreased ankle dorsiflexion angles compared to no FOs.ConclusionBoth types of FOs had different effects on the biomechanics of the lower limb compared to a control condition. The decreased peroneus longus EMG amplitudes during CW in individuals with cavus feet could have important clinical implications in other populations, such as individuals with painful cavus feet. The orthoses only affected the ankle dorsiflexion angles at a fast speed and no EMG amplitude or knee kinematics effects were observed. Further studies assessing the ankle kinematics and kinetics effects of these orthoses are needed to improve our understanding of their mechanism of action and inform future efficacy trials.
Highlights
Foot orthoses (FOs) are prescribed to treat and prevent many lower limb musculoskeletal conditions [1, 2]
The objective of this study was to compare the biomechanical effects of functional FOs with and without a lateral bar to a control condition during comfortable walking in individuals with cavus feet and determine if their effects change at a fast speed
During FW, FOs with and without a lateral bar decreased ankle dorsiflexion angles compared to no FOs
Summary
Foot orthoses (FOs) are prescribed to treat and prevent many lower limb musculoskeletal conditions [1, 2]. FOs affect the lower-limbs’ distal joints in individuals with flat feet [9] but it is unknown if these results are generalizable to individuals with different foot types. Previous studies showed decreased tibialis posterior [10] and tibialis anterior [11] and increased peroneus longus and gastrocnemius lateralis [12] electromyography (EMG) amplitudes when wearing FOs during walking. Previous studies investigating the biomechanical effects of FOs mostly involved participants with flat or rectus feet [6, 9] and it is unclear whether the observed changes in muscle function using FOs are consistent and predictable across foot morphologies [13]
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