Comparison of plantar pressure on normal -footed vs. high arch-footed badminton players in two-way lunge

Abstract

Background: Compared to the individuals with a normal arch structure, those with high or low arch can be at an increased risk of overuse injuries. The risk of overuse injury among athletes is high due, in part, to the repeated loading of the lower extremities. The current study aimed to determine if foot type (high-arched or normal) results in differences in plantar pressure during two badminton-specific movements (right-reverse lunge and right-lateral lunge). Methods: Twenty badminton players (10 with normal feet and 10 with higharched feet) completed five trials in both right-reverse and right-lateral lunge, while in-shoe pressure data were collected at 100 Hz. The peak pressure and mean pressure were analyzed among the subjects for five major anatomical regions of the foot, using the independent t test in SPSS version 20. The foot type was determined by the foot posture index (FPI) (α<0.05). Results: Results showed that the plantar pressure characteristics of normal and high-arched feet were different; such that in high-arched feet, as compared to normal subjects, there were significantly fewer pressure strikes in the medial (P=0.010) and lateral (P=0.002) mid-foot in right-reverse lunge and this was significantly higher in forefoot (P=0.003) and toes (P=0.010). However, the peak (P=0.157) and mean (P=0.104) pressure in the heel was higher but not significant. In the right- lateral lunge, we found statistically lower peak pressure stroke for the lateral mid-foot (P=0.010) and forefoot (P=0.011); however, the mean pressure was lower in the lateral (P=0.010) and medial (P=0.040) mid-foot and forefoot (P=0.120), although it was not significant in the forefoot. Conclusion: Results showed that the medial longitudinal arch of the foot might cause pressure differences in the feet among the players with normal and higharched feet. As the results demonstrated, in high-arched feet, there are some regions where plantar pressure is higher and some where it is lower. Therefore, in order to prevent the badminton players from suffering probable foot injuries, attention should be paid to the compatibility of the insole/shoe and the medial longitudinal arch and other areas of the foot that suffer more pressures than normal subjects. .