Search Results
Abstract
Background: The human foot has three arches. The medial longitudinal arch is the longest, the highest, and the most important. The development of a normal foot arch is greatly affected by genetic inheritance, differences in the environment, socioeconomic development, body weight, sex, ethnicity, and culture. The purpose of this study was to compare the arch type between shoe-wearing and barefooted individuals.
Methods: A cross-sectional study was conducted. The data obtained were checked for clarity and consistency before analysis. The analysis was done using descriptive statistics and chi-square. p-values less than 0.05 were considered to be statistically significant.
Result: From a total of 446 subjects, 217 (48.7%) were males, 131 (29.6%) were urban residents and 226 (50.6 %) were shoe wearers. From the total sample, 46.2%, 42.8%, and 11% are high, normal, and flat-arched individuals, respectively. Of the shoe wearers, 6.7% have a flat arch while 4.3% of the barefooted subjects are flat-arched. Of the total flat-arched subjects, 8.3% are males and 2.7% are females. Of the urban residents, 17.5% have a flat foot and 8.3% of rural residents were flat arched. Among the shoe wearers, 8.8% use closed-toe shoes, and 4.4% that wear sandals are flat-arched.
Conclusion: The result indicates sex, type of shoes, wearing shoes, and being barefooted affected the development of the foot arch.
Background
Shoes, with their biomechanical features, affect the human body and function as clothing that protects the foot. This study aimed to investigate the effects of Masai Barefoot Technology (MBT) shoes on gait in healthy, young individuals compared with bare feet and classic stable shoes.
Methods
The study was conducted in 67 healthy females aged 18 to 30 years. All volunteers walked barefoot, in Oxford shoes, and in MBT shoes and were evaluated in the same session. Kinematic gait analyses were performed. The three performances were compared using repeated-measures analysis of variance to study the variance in the groups themselves, and the Friedman and Wilcoxon paired two-sample tests were used for the intragroup comparisons.
Results
We found that the single support time and the swing phase ratio increased during walking in MBT shoes compared with walking in stable shoes, whereas the double support ratio, stride length, cadence, gait speed, loading response ratio, and preswing phase ratio decreased. However, it was found that the step and stride length, step width, and gait speed increased and the preswing phase extended during walking in stable shoes compared with walking barefoot.
Conclusions
These results support the hypothesis that MBT shoes facilitate foot cycles as they reduce the loading response and the preswing and stance phase ratios.
Background:
This prospective study was performed to compare calcaneal and lumbar bone mineral density (BMD) in individuals with and without diabetes mellitus. We compared bone density with the time from onset of Charcot’s neuroarthropathy (CN) in patients with unilateral, nonoperative, reconstructive-stage CN. The final purpose was to investigate the role that sex, age, and serum vitamin D level may have in osseous recovery.
Methods:
Thirty-three individuals were divided into three groups: controls and patients with diabetes mellitus with and without CN. Peripheral instantaneous x-ray imaging and dual-energy x-ray absorptiometry were performed.
Results:
The calcaneal BMD of patients with diabetes mellitus and CN was lower than that of the control group (P < .01) but was not significantly lower than that of patients with diabetes mellitus alone. There was no statistically significant difference in lumbar T-scores between groups. Women demonstrated lower BMD than did men (P = .02), but patients 60 years and older did not demonstrate significantly lower BMD than did patients younger than 60 years (P = .135). A negative linear relationship was demonstrated between time and BMD in patients with CN.
Conclusions:
The results of this study suggest that lumbar BMD does not reflect peripheral BMD in patients with diabetes mellitus and reconstructive-stage CN. This study has clinical implications when reconstructive osseous surgery is planned in patients with CN. (J Am Podiatr Med Assoc 102(3): 213–222, 2012)
Background
Injuries of the first metatarsophalangeal joint have lately been receiving attention from researchers owing to the important functions of this joint. However, most of the studies of turf toe injuries have focused on sports played on artificial turf.
Methods
This study compared the range of motion of the first metatarsophalangeal joint in collegiate basketball players (n = 123) and noncompetitive individuals (n = 123).
Results
A statistically significant difference (P < .001) in range of motion was found between the two groups. The difference between the two sample means was 21.35°.
Conclusions
With hallux rigidus being a potential sequela of repeated turf toe injuries, it seems likely that subacute turf toe injuries occur in basketball players, leading to degenerative changes that result in hallux limitus.
Background:
Evaluation of range of motion (ROM) is integral to assessment of the musculoskeletal system, is required in health fitness and pathologic conditions, and is used as an objective outcome measure. Several methods are described to check ROM, each with advantages and disadvantages. Hence, this study introduces a new device using a smartphone goniometer to measure ankle joint ROM.
Objective:
To test the reliability of smartphone goniometry in the ankle joint by comparing it with the universal goniometer (UG) and to assess interrater and intrarater reliability for the smartphone goniometer record (SGR) application.
Methods:
Fifty-eight healthy volunteers (29 men and 29 women aged 18–30 years) underwent SGR and UG measurement of ankle joint dorsiflexion and plantarflexion. Two examiners measured ankle joint ROM. Descriptive statistics were calculated for descriptive and anthropometric variables, as were intraclass correlation coefficients (ICCs).
Results:
There were 58 usable data sets. For measuring ankle dorsiflexion ROM, both instruments showed excellent interrater reliability: UG (ICC = 0.87) and SGR (ICC = 0.89). Intrarater reliability was excellent in both instruments in ankle dorsiflexion: UG and SGR (mean ICC = 0.91). For measuring ankle plantarflexion, both instruments showed excellent interrater reliability: UG (ICC = 0.76) and SGR (ICC = 0.82). Intrarater reliability was excellent in both instruments in ankle plantarflexion: UG (mean ICC = 0.85) and SGR (mean ICC = 0.82).
Conclusions:
Smartphone-based goniometers can be used to assess active ROM of the ankle joint because they can achieve a high degree of intrarater and interrater reliability.
A comparison of five commonly used insole materials (Spenco, PPT, Plastazote, Nickelplast, and Pelite) was made to evaluate their effectiveness in reducing plantar vertical pressures on human subjects during walking. With the use of the EMED-SF pedograph force plate system, dynamic measures of vertical force, force-time integral, peak plantar pressure, pressure-time integral, and area of foot-to-ground contact were compared with the force plate covered with each of the insole materials and without any interface material.
Background:
Use of thicker and longer (four cortices) screws or of multiple screws seems to be more stable and efficient for syndesmosis fixation.
Methods:
A three-dimensional finite element model of an ankle was constructed from serial axial sections from an existing two-dimensional computed tomographic image. Constructions of syndesmosis fixation with 3.5-mm single tricortical, 3.5-mm single quadricortical, 3.5-mm double tricortical, 3.5-mm double quadricortical, 4.5-mm single tricortical, and 4.5-mm single quadricortical screws were performed on this model. Physiologic loads approximating those during stance phase normal walking were applied to this ankle system. Stress values on the screws using the six fixation methods were compared.
Results:
The highest maximum stress was determined over 3.5-mm cortical screws applied as single quadricortical, and the lowest maximum stress was determined over the 4.5-mm cortical screw applied as single quadricortical. Stress on the 3.5-mm single screw with quadricortical application was found to be higher than that with tricortical application and also compared with the 4.5-mm quadricortical screw application. Differences between the 4.5-mm single tricortical and quadricortical screws and between the 3.5-mm single tricortical and 3.5-mm double tricortical screw applications were not significant.
Conclusions:
Quadricortical application of 3.5-mm single screws and tricortical application of 3.5-mm double cortical screws are not good choices for syndesmosis fixation. If the plan is tricortical application, a 3.5-mm single cortical screw is adequate. If quadricortical application of syndesmosis fixation is planned, a 4.5-mm cortical screw should be used. (J Am Podiatr Med Assoc 103(3): 174–180, 2013)
INTRODUCTION AND OBJECTIVES: The benefits of using amniotic tissue in skin regeneration are well documented. Today, cryopreservation technology allows for better availability and maintenance of mesenchymal stem cells. This is of particular interest in treating the diabetic foot ulcer as this population has fewer mesenchymal stem cells. The objective of this case series investigation was to compare the efficacy of cryopreserved human amniotic stem cells in treating foot wounds of different etiologies. We will present data and case photos for a diabetic foot ulcer, venous leg ulcer, arterial ankle ulcer, and a pyoderma gangrenosum ulcer
METHODS: Cryopreserved human amniotic stem cell grafts were applied to patients with chronic ulcers of different etiologies that had been subjected to at least 4 weeks of standard wound care and did not show adequate clinical progress. Wound area was recorded and photographed on weekly basis. Area reduction was charted over time and the results of each individual case were compared to one another.
RESULTS: All ulcers displayed results that well exceeded the established parameters of weekly healing rates for effective wound treatment modalities.
• Pyoderma gangrenosum displayed the poorest response to treatment. However, it is worth noting that the patient was not compliant in the prescribed adjunctive treatment regimen but managed to achieve 64% wound reduction.
• All ulcers showed the largest appreciable amount of healing in both total area reduction and week-to- week closure percentage after the first application.
CONCLUSIONS: Cryopreserved human amniotic stem cell grafts can aid in the decreasing the time to closure of various types of lower extremity ulcerations. The therapy is a clinically viable option for physicians to consider when formulating a treatment plan for a patient with an ulcer.
