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- Author or Editor: Filip Staes x
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Background
We aimed to determine the center of pressure (COP) trajectories and regional pressure differences in natural rearfoot strikers while running barefoot, running with a minimalist shoe, and running with a traditional shoe.
Methods
Twenty-two male natural rearfoot strikers ran at an imposed speed along an instrumented runway in three conditions: barefoot, with a traditional shoe, and with a minimalist shoe. Metrics associated to the COP and regional plantar force distribution, captured with a pressure platform, were compared using one-way repeated-measures analysis of variance.
Results
The forefoot contact phase was found to be significantly shorter in the barefoot running trials compared with the shod conditions (P = .003). The initial contact of the COP was located more anteriorly in the barefoot running trials. The mediolateral position of the COP at initial contact was found to be significantly different in the three conditions, whereas the final mediolateral position of the COP during the forefoot contact phase was found to be more lateral in the barefoot condition compared with both shod conditions (P = .0001). The metrics associated with the regional plantar force distribution supported the clinical reasoning with respect to the COP findings.
Conclusions
The minimalist shoe seems to provide a compromise between barefoot running and running with a traditional shoe.
Background
The determination of anatomical reference frames in the rearfoot during three-dimensional multisegment foot modeling has been hindered by a variety of factors. One of these factors is related to the difficulty in palpating, or the absence of, anatomical landmarks. A novel device (the Calcaneal Marker Device) aimed at standardizing marker placement at the calcaneus was, therefore, developed and evaluated for its reliability.
Methods
Throughout a random repeated-measures design, the repeatability of calcaneal marker placement was evaluated for two techniques: manual placement and placement using the Calcaneal Marker Device. Translational changes after marker placement and the clinical effect on intersegment angle calculation were quantified.
Results
Intraobserver variability was greater in therapist 2 (<5.3 mm) compared with therapist 1 (<2.9 mm). Intraobserver variability was also found to be less than 1.6 mm throughout use of the device. Interobserver variability was found to be significantly higher for the position of markers placed manually (5.8 mm), whereas with the Calcaneal Marker Device, the variability remained lower (<1.3 mm). The effect on the computed intersegment angles followed a similar trend, with variability of 0.4° to 4.0° and 1.0° to 8.7° for CMD and manual placement, respectively.
Conclusions
These findings suggest that variations in marker placement are considerably reduced when the novel Calcaneal Marker Device is used, possibly toward the limits dictated by the fine motor skills of therapists and tissue artifacts.
