The Association between Foot Morphology and Dynamic Balance Performance as Measured by the Star Excursion Balance Test

Abstract

The purposes of this descriptive study were to explore the association between foot morphology, severity of past injuries and Star Excursion Balance Test (SEBT) performance in recreational runners. We interviewed 20 healthy recreational runners (aged 23-58 years) about their running habits and history of injuries. We calculated arch height index, a measure of foot morphology, from their static footprint. Participants performed the SEBT. Participants with lower medial longitudinal foot arch reached significantly farther on all SEBT directions except for anterolateral. The Spearman correlation (Rs) between arch index and those 7 directions ranged from 0.455 to 0.617 (p values ranging from 0.01 to 0.05). Severity of injuries in the past was not associated with SEBT performance. Assessing parameters that are associated with balance performance can help therapists to understand the underlying impairments leading to decreased or enhanced dynamic balance performance. Researchers and clinicians need to be aware of potential differences in dynamic balance performance in individuals with different foot morphologies.