Comparison of Static Balance Performance and Plantar Selected Parameters of Dominant and Non-dominant Leg in Active Adolescent’s Female With Ankle Pronation

Abstract

Background and Aims One of the most important structural abnormalities in the foot is the decrease in the height of the medial longitudinal arch when bearing body weight, which causes deformity in the ankle and its pronation. The present study aims to compare static balance, posture, and selected plantar parameters in adolescent girls with ankle pronation and healthy peers. Methods This is quasi-experimental and causal-comparative study. Participants were 32 active healthy adolescent girls and 32 adolescent girls with ankle pronation aged 14-17 years. The NewYork digital test was used to assess their posture. The Chippaux-Smirak index (CSI) was used to evaluate their foot arch, and the navicular drop test was used to determine the amount of foot pronation. Romberg test (with eyes closed) was used to assess their static balance. Kolmogorov Smirnov test was used to check the normality of data distribution. Independent t-test was used to compare selected plantar parameters and static balance of two groups, and Mann-Whitney U test was used to compare the postural abnormalities of the two groups. The data analysis was done in SPSS v. 22 software. The significance level was set at 0.05 Results Among postural abnormalities, the prevalence of forward head (1.1%), uneven shoulders (3.6%), lordosis (8.3%), kyphosis (1.6%), knee varus (0.8%), knee valgus (0.12%), heel valgus (6.2%) and heel varus (%1.2) were higher in girls with ankle pronation. There was significant difference between the two groups in the navicular drop of dominant foot (P=0.00) and non-dominant foot (P=0.03), the CSI of dominant foot (P=0.00) and non-dominant foot (P=0.03), and Romberg balance test score (P=0.00). Conclusion Adolescent girls with ankle pronation have more abnormalities compared to their healthy peers. The mechanical changes in their posture increased the development of lordosis, heel valgus, navicular drop, and CSI, and reduced their balance in them.