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Latour E, Latour EE, Arlet J. Regional differences in the biological variability of plantar pressure as a basis for refining diagnostic gait analysis. Sci Rep 2024; 14:5911. [PMID: 38467651 PMCID: PMC10928083 DOI: 10.1038/s41598-024-53787-6] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 06/22/2023] [Accepted: 02/05/2024] [Indexed: 03/13/2024] Open
Abstract
The variability of movement plays a crucial role in shaping individual's gait pattern and could, therefore, potentially serve diagnostic purposes. Nevertheless, existing concepts for the use of variability in diagnosing gait present a challenge due to the lack of adequate benchmarks and methods for comparison. We assessed the individuality of contribution of foot parts that directly mediate the transmission of forces between the foot and the ground in body weight shifting during walking based on 200 pedobarometric measurements corresponding to the analysed foot parts for each of 19 individuals in a homogeneous study group. Our results show a degree of individualisation of the contribution of particular foot parts in the weight-shift high enough to justify the need to consider it in the diagnostic analysis. Furthermore they reveal noticeable, functionally driven differences between plantar areas most apparent between the lowest individuality for the first foot ray and the highest for second one and metatarsus. The diagnostic reference standard in pedobarometry should describe the contribution in the shift of body weight during walking for each area of the foot separately and include information on the intra-individual variation and individualisation of descriptors of the contribution. Such a comprehensive standard has the potential to increase the diagnostic value of pedobarometry through enrichment of the assessment description.
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Affiliation(s)
- Ewa Latour
- Department of Physiotherapy, Poznan University of Physical Education, 61-871, Poznań, Poland.
| | - Emilia E Latour
- Department of Physiotherapy, Poznan University of Physical Education, 61-871, Poznań, Poland
| | - Jarosław Arlet
- Department of Physiotherapy, Poznan University of Physical Education, 61-871, Poznań, Poland
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Schuster RW, Cresswell AG, Kelly LA. Human foot form and function: variable and versatile, yet sufficiently related to predict function from form. Proc Biol Sci 2024; 291:20232543. [PMID: 38196364 PMCID: PMC10777145 DOI: 10.1098/rspb.2023.2543] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 11/14/2023] [Accepted: 11/27/2023] [Indexed: 01/11/2024] Open
Abstract
The human foot is a complex structure that plays an important role in our capacity for upright locomotion. Comparisons of our feet with those of our closest extinct and extant relatives have linked shape features (e.g. the longitudinal and transverse arches, heel size and toe length) to specific mechanical functions. However, foot shape varies widely across the human population, so it remains unclear if and how specific shape variants are related to locomotor mechanics. Here we constructed a statistical shape-function model (SFM) from 100 healthy participants to directly explore the relationship between the shape and function of our feet. We also examined if we could predict the joint motion and moments occurring within a person's foot during locomotion based purely on shape features. The SFM revealed that the longitudinal and transverse arches, relative foot proportions and toe shape along with their associated joint mechanics were most variable. However, each of these only accounted for small proportions of the overall variation in shape, deformation and joint mechanics, most likely owing to the high structural complexity of the foot. Nevertheless, a leave-one-out analysis showed that the SFM can accurately predict joint mechanics of a novel foot, based on its shape and deformation.
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Affiliation(s)
- Robert W. Schuster
- School of Human Movement and Nutrition Sciences, The University of Queensland, Saint Lucia, Queensland, 4067, Australia
- Griffith Centre of Biomedical and Rehabilitation Engineering, Griffith University, Gold Coast, Queensland, 4215, Australia
- School of Health Sciences and Social Work, Griffith University, Gold Coast, Queensland, 4215, Australia
| | - Andrew G. Cresswell
- School of Human Movement and Nutrition Sciences, The University of Queensland, Saint Lucia, Queensland, 4067, Australia
| | - Luke A. Kelly
- School of Human Movement and Nutrition Sciences, The University of Queensland, Saint Lucia, Queensland, 4067, Australia
- Griffith Centre of Biomedical and Rehabilitation Engineering, Griffith University, Gold Coast, Queensland, 4215, Australia
- School of Health Sciences and Social Work, Griffith University, Gold Coast, Queensland, 4215, Australia
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Crompton RH, Sellers W, Davids K, McClymont J. Biomechanics and the origins of human bipedal walking: The last 50 years. J Biomech 2023; 157:111701. [PMID: 37451208 DOI: 10.1016/j.jbiomech.2023.111701] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 09/20/2022] [Revised: 06/22/2023] [Accepted: 06/23/2023] [Indexed: 07/18/2023]
Abstract
Motion analysis, as applied to evolutionary biomechanics, has experienced its own evolution over the last 50 years. Here we review how an ever-increasing fossil record, together with continuing advancements in biomechanics techniques, have shaped our understanding of the origin of upright bipedal walking. The original, and long-established hypothesis held by Lamarck (1809), Darwin (1859) and Keith (1934), amongst others, maintained that bipedality originated in an arboreal context. However, the first field studies of gorilla and chimpanzees from the 1960's, highlighted their so-called 'knucklewalking' quadrupedalism, leading scientists to assume, semi-automatically, that knucklewalking must have been the precursor to bipedality. It would not be until the discovery of skeletons of early human relatives Australopithecus afarensis and Australopithecus prometheus, and the inclusion of methods of analysis from computer science, biomechanics, sports science and medicine, that the knucklewalking hypothesis would be most robustly challenged. Their short, but human-like lower limbs and human-like hand indicated that knucklewalking was not part of our ancestral locomotor repertoire. Rather, most current research in evolutionary biomechanics agrees it was a combination of climbing and bipedalism, both in an arboreal context, which facilitated upright, terrestrial, bipedal walking over short distances.
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Affiliation(s)
- Robin Huw Crompton
- Musculoskeletal and Ageing Science, The University of Liverpool, William Henry Duncan Building, West Derby Street, Liverpool L7 8TX, UK.
| | - William Sellers
- Earth and Environmental Sciences, The University of Manchester, Oxford Road, Manchester M13 9PL, UK
| | - Keith Davids
- Sport and Physical Activity Research Centre, Sheffield Hallam University, Howard Street, Sheffield S1 1WB, UK
| | - Juliet McClymont
- Musculoskeletal and Ageing Science, The University of Liverpool, William Henry Duncan Building, West Derby Street, Liverpool L7 8TX, UK
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Yan Y, Ou J, Shi H, Sun C, Shen L, Song Z, Shu L, Chen Z. Plantar pressure and falling risk in older individuals: a cross-sectional study. J Foot Ankle Res 2023; 16:14. [PMID: 36941642 PMCID: PMC10029259 DOI: 10.1186/s13047-023-00612-4] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Submit a Manuscript] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 12/21/2022] [Accepted: 03/02/2023] [Indexed: 03/23/2023] Open
Abstract
BACKGROUND Falls are commonplace among elderly people. It is urgent to prevent falls. Previous studies have confirmed that there is a difference in plantar pressure between falls and non-falls in elderly people, but the relationship between fall risk and foot pressure has not been studied. In this study, the differences in dynamic plantar pressure between elderly people with high and low fall risk were preliminarily discussed, and the characteristic parameters of plantar pressure were determined. METHODS Twenty four high-fall-risk elderly individuals (HR) and 24 low-fall-risk elderly individuals (LR) were selected using the Berg Balance Scale 40 score. They wore wearable foot pressure devices to walk along a 20-m-long corridor. The peak pressure (PP), pressure time integral (PTI), pressure gradient (maximum pressure gradient (MaxPG), minimum pressure gradient (MinPG), full width at half maximum (FWHM)) and average pressure (AP) of their feet were measured for inter-group and intra-group analysis. RESULTS The foot pressure difference comparing the high fall risk with low fall risk groups was manifested in PP and MaxPG, concentrated in the midfoot and heel (p < 0.05), while the only time parameter, FWHM, was manifested in the whole foot (p < 0.05). The differences between the left and right foot were reflected in all parameters. The differences between the left and right foot in LR were mainly reflected in the heel (p < 0.05), while it in the HR was mainly reflected in the forefoot (p < 0.05). CONCLUSIONS The differences comparing the high fall risk with low fall risk groups were mostly reflected in the midfoot and heel. The HR may have been more cautious when landing. In the intra-group comparison, the difference between the right and left foot of the LR was mainly reflected during heel striking, while it was mainly reflected during pedalling in the HR. The sensitivity of PP, PTI and AP was lower and the newly introduced pressure gradient could better reflect the difference in foot pressure between the two groups. The pressure gradient can be used as a new foot pressure parameter in scientific research.
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Affiliation(s)
- Yifeng Yan
- Department of Rehabilitation Medicine, The First Affiliated Hospital of Jinan University, Guangzhou, China
| | - Jianlin Ou
- Department of Rehabilitation Medicine, The First Affiliated Hospital of Jinan University, Guangzhou, China
| | - Hanxue Shi
- School of Future Technology, South China University of Technology, Guangzhou, China
| | - Chenming Sun
- Department of Rehabilitation Medicine, The First Affiliated Hospital of Jinan University, Guangzhou, China
| | - Longbin Shen
- Department of Rehabilitation Medicine, The First Affiliated Hospital of Jinan University, Guangzhou, China
| | - Zhen Song
- School of Future Technology, South China University of Technology, Guangzhou, China
- School of Microelectronics, South China University of Technology, Guangzhou, China
| | - Lin Shu
- School of Future Technology, South China University of Technology, Guangzhou, China.
- Institute of Modern Industrial Technology of SCUT in Zhongshan, Zhongshan, China.
- Pazhou Lab, Guangzhou, China.
| | - Zhuoming Chen
- Department of Rehabilitation Medicine, The First Affiliated Hospital of Jinan University, Guangzhou, China.
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Leyh C, Feipel V. Impact of Sex and Velocity on Plantar Pressure Distribution during Gait: A Cross-Sectional Study Using an Instrumented Pressure-Sensitive Walkway. J Funct Morphol Kinesiol 2022; 7:jfmk7040106. [PMID: 36547652 PMCID: PMC9781928 DOI: 10.3390/jfmk7040106] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Submit a Manuscript] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 10/09/2022] [Revised: 11/23/2022] [Accepted: 11/23/2022] [Indexed: 11/29/2022] Open
Abstract
In-shoe systems and pressure plates are used to assess plantar pressure during gait, but additional tools are employed to evaluate other gait parameters. The GAITRite® system is a clinical gait evaluation tool. Extensive literature is available for spatiotemporal parameters, but it is scarce for relative plantar pressure data. Therefore, we investigated whether, when controlling for age, the GAITRite® system is able to distinguish the effects of walking velocity on plantar pressure parameters in six plantar regions in a large sample of adults. Participants (83 women and 87 men, aged 18−85 years) walked at three self-selected velocities (slow, preferred, fast) on a 6-m long GAITRite® walkway. Relative peak pressure, pressure-time integral, peak time and contact area were computed for six zones (lateral and medial heel, mid- and forefoot). The impact of age (covariate), sex, side, velocity, pressure zone and their interactions on pressure variables was evaluated. Velocity affected peak pressure, pressure-time integral, peak time and contact area (p < 0.001). With increasing self-selected gait velocity, medial forefoot peak pressure and pressure-time integral increased (p < 0.001), while heel and lateral forefoot regions displayed a nonlinear plantar pressure evolution. These results suggest lower (heel strike) or more equally distributed (push-off) loads at preferred gait velocity.
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Affiliation(s)
- Clara Leyh
- Laboratory of Functional Anatomy (LAF), Université Libre de Bruxelles, 1070 Brussels, Belgium
- Laboratory of Anatomy, Biomechanics and Organogenesis (LABO), Université Libre de Bruxelles, 1070 Brussels, Belgium
- Correspondence:
| | - Véronique Feipel
- Laboratory of Functional Anatomy (LAF), Université Libre de Bruxelles, 1070 Brussels, Belgium
- Laboratory of Anatomy, Biomechanics and Organogenesis (LABO), Université Libre de Bruxelles, 1070 Brussels, Belgium
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Okawara H, Sawada T, Hakukawa S, Nishizawa K, Okuno M, Nakamura M, Hashimoto T, Nagura T. Footsteps required for reliable and valid in-shoe plantar pressure assessment during gait per foot region in people with hallux valgus. Gait Posture 2022; 97:21-27. [PMID: 35858528 DOI: 10.1016/j.gaitpost.2022.07.009] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Submit a Manuscript] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 02/13/2022] [Revised: 07/07/2022] [Accepted: 07/11/2022] [Indexed: 02/02/2023]
Abstract
BACKGROUND Plantar pressure assessment is commonly performed to identify pathognomonic gait characteristics and evaluate therapeutics against them in people with various foot disorders. Little is known about the reliability and validity of this assessment in people with hallux valgus (HV) per foot region. RESEARCH QUESTION This study aimed to assess the reliability and validity of the in-shoe plantar pressure measurement method during gait in people with HV and the required number of footsteps, as an intra-subject sample size, to ensure a reliable and valid use of this method. METHODS With an inserted disposable insole plantar pressure sensor in shoes, 17 females with HV (HV angle > 15°) completed three gait trials over the ground at a comfortable speed. Peak plantar pressure data and its distribution in 15 stance phases on the foot clinically diagnosed with HV in each participant were extracted by dividing the foot into eight regions. The intraclass correlation coefficient per foot region and the number of footsteps required to produce a valid peak plantar pressure and distribution (intraclass correlation coefficient > 0.90) were used to measure reliability. Based on the limit of agreement analysis, the coefficient of variation between the averaged value from each incremental footstep (2-14 footsteps) and 15 reference footsteps was calculated. RESULTS The intraclass correlation coefficient of plantar pressure assessment with the in-shoe sensor was 0.606-0.847 in the eight foot regions in people with HV. Additionally, the number of steps required for a valid assessment ranged from two to nine. Hence, the application of averaged values from more than nine footsteps is recommended for this evaluation. SIGNIFICANCE This reference sample size is intended to be used in future studies and clinical settings to determine the efficacy of HV treatment.
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Affiliation(s)
- Hiroki Okawara
- Department of Orthopaedic Surgery, Keio University School of Medicine, Shinjuku, Tokyo 160-8582, Japan.
| | - Tomonori Sawada
- Department of Orthopaedic Surgery, Keio University School of Medicine, Shinjuku, Tokyo 160-8582, Japan.
| | - Satoshi Hakukawa
- Department of Orthopaedic Surgery, Keio University School of Medicine, Shinjuku, Tokyo 160-8582, Japan.
| | - Kohei Nishizawa
- Department of Orthopaedic Surgery, Keio University School of Medicine, Shinjuku, Tokyo 160-8582, Japan.
| | - Masahiro Okuno
- Department of Orthopaedic Surgery, Keio University School of Medicine, Shinjuku, Tokyo 160-8582, Japan; Rapithela Corporation, Seto, Aichi 489-0979, Japan; Tomei Brace Co., Ltd, Seto, Aichi 489-0979, Japan.
| | - Masaya Nakamura
- Department of Orthopaedic Surgery, Keio University School of Medicine, Shinjuku, Tokyo 160-8582, Japan.
| | - Takeshi Hashimoto
- Sports Medicine Research Center, Keio University, Yokohama, Kanagawa 223-8521, Japan.
| | - Takeo Nagura
- Department of Orthopaedic Surgery, Keio University School of Medicine, Shinjuku, Tokyo 160-8582, Japan; Department of Clinical Biomechanics, Keio University School of Medicine, Shinjuku, Tokyo 160-8582, Japan.
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McClymont J, Davids K, Crompton R. Variation, mosaicism and degeneracy in the hominin foot. EVOLUTIONARY HUMAN SCIENCES 2021; 4:e2. [PMID: 37588898 PMCID: PMC10426032 DOI: 10.1017/ehs.2021.50] [Citation(s) in RCA: 4] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 01/01/2023] Open
Abstract
The fossil record is scarce and incomplete by nature. Animals and ecological processes devour soft tissue and important bony details over time and, when the dust settles, we are faced with a patchy record full of variation. Fossil taxa are usually defined by craniodental characteristics, so unless postcranial bones are found associated with a skull, assignment to taxon is unstable. Naming a locomotor category based on fossil bone morphology by analogy to living hominoids is not uncommon, and when no single locomotor label fits, postcrania are often described as exhibiting a 'mosaic' of traits. Here, we contend that the unavoidable variation that characterises the fossil record can be described far more rigorously based on extensive work in human neurobiology and neuroanatomy, movement sciences and motor control and biomechanics research. In neurobiology, degeneracy is a natural mechanism of adaptation allowing system elements that are structurally different to perform the same function. This concept differs from redundancy as understood in engineering, where the same function is performed by identical elements. Assuming degeneracy, structurally different elements are able to produce different outputs in a range of environmental contexts, favouring ecological robusticity by enabling adaptations. Furthermore, as degeneracy extends to genome level, genetic variation is sustained, so that genes which might benefit an organism in a different environment remain part of the genome, favouring species' evolvability.
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Affiliation(s)
| | - K. Davids
- Sheffield Hallam University, Sheffield, UK
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