Ultrasound assessment of distal femoral cartilage thickness measurements after walking/jogging in subjects with pes planus

Abstract

BackgroundBecause there is a closed kinematic chain between the lower extremity joints during weight-bearing activities, pes planus can affect knee biomechanics. ObjectiveThis study aimed to measure distal femoral cartilage thickness with ultrasound after 3 different conditions (at rest, during walking and jogging) in subjects with pes planus and compare these conditions with each other and also with controls. MethodSixteen participants with pes planus(5-men, 11-women; aged 18–30 years) and 16 controls(3-men, 13-women; aged 18–30 years) were enrolled. Distal femoral cartilage thickness was evaluated with ultrasound before and after three separate 30-min conditions. Preferred walking speed (PWS) was determined on the ground. Subjects walked on a treadmill for 30-min at their PWS and jogged 30-min at 30% above their PWS. The Foot Function Index and the Foot-Ankle Outcome Survey were used to evaluate the clinical and functional status of the subjects. ResultsNeither PWSs nor jogging speeds were statistically different between groups (p > 0.05). There were no statistically significant differences between groups for absolute and percent change of cartilage thickness for all three conditions (p > 0.05). There were also no statistically significant differences between conditions for each intragroup (p > 0.05). The median Foot Function Index score of the subjects with pes planus was 9.78(0–44.35) for the right foot and 9.52(0–40.87) for the left foot. The median the Foot-Ankle Outcome Survey score of the subjects with pes planus was 88(65–100). ConclusionThere was no difference in knee joint cartilage deformations under different loading conditions, neither in subjects with pes planus nor in controls.