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Background: Lower extremity injuries are an ongoing concern for professional football players. This study aims to evaluate the relationship between foot posture and lower extremity injuries in professional football players. Method: In this prospective cohort study, 420 male players of the Iran Premium football league were evaluated during the 2015-2016 season. The players were assessed for their foot types based on optical and static foot scans and foot posture index (FPI). The trained club physicians recorded all injuries during the season. Result: The analyzed data of 244 players showed the highest rate of lower extremity injury in hamstrings, ankle, and groin, respectively. These injuries led to 46% of time loss. The probability of hamstrings injuries was higher among pronated players based on static, optic, FPI, and visual examination, 2.1, 1.8, 1.8, and 2.3, respectively. Medial Collateral Ligament (MCL) injuries were associated with subtalar joint abnormality defined by visual observation. An increased relative risk of leading-to-absence injuries among the flat foot group was significant based on optic scanning, FPI, and visual observation. Conclusion: Abnormal foot postures in professional football players may increase the risk of hamstring and MCL injuries and time loss due to lower extremity injuries. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Introduction: Upper crossed syndrome is known as a musculoskeletal abnormality that results in postural changes such as forward head, forward shoulder and kyphosis. Balance is one of the most important posture component that might be reduced by upper crossed syndrome. This study aimed to compare of eight-week shoulder girdle, pelvic girdle and combined corrective exercises program for improving the balance in this syndrome. Materials and Methods: In this study, 45 female students with upper crossed syndrome were selected purposefully and divided randomly in three groups including shoulder girdle, pelvic girdle, and combined exercises. Conspicuously, progressive corrective exercises were performed in all groups for eight weeks and three sessions per week for 30 to 70 minutes. The static balance was evaluated before and after the intervention by a foot-scanner. Results: The results of repeated measures ANOVA analysis in all three groups showed significant increase within the groups after intervention (P=0.000). The results of post hoc test for 30 seconds with open eyes (P=0.05) and 30 seconds with closed eyes (P=0.04) showed a significant difference between combined and shoulder girdle group exercises. No significant difference was observed between 10 seconds with right foot (P=0.84) and 10 seconds with left foot (P=0.58) groups. Conclusion: The simultaneously correction of posture abnormalities as a comprehensive is more effective in improving balance instead of correction of each abnormality as an independent component. Therefore, comprehensive oriented corrective exercises are advised for improvement of balance in upper crossed syndrome. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Featured Application: A novel method for three-dimensional sole morphological measurements gives high intra-rater, inter-rater, and inter-session reliability regardless of the rater's experience or time of measurement, and will be useful for foot assessment and subsequent applications, such as design and manufacture of customized orthoses or shoes.Background: Assessment of the sole morphology provides a clinically useful measure of the foot condition, but existing methods are mostly limited to two-dimensional or non-weight-bearing conditions. The current study aimed to assess the reliability of a novel method called Single-Image-Based Pin-Array Impression Reconstruction Method (SIBPAIR) implemented on a commercial foot assessment system, and the intra-rater, inter-rater and inter-session reliability of the SIBPAIR-based protocol for three-dimensional sole morphological measurements. Methods: The reliability of the SIBPAIR method, and the intra-rater, inter-rater, and inter-session reliability of the SIBPAIR-based protocol in measuring morphological parameters of the sole were assessed by repeated measurements of fifteen young healthy adults by two male physical therapists, in terms of intra-class correlation coefficients (ICC) and standard error of measurement (SEM). Results and Conclusions: The SIBPAIR method was found to have very high reliability with very small SEM values, and the SIBPAIR-based protocol also showed very high intra-rater, inter-rater, and inter-session reliability with small SEM. These results indicate that accurate and reliable measurements could be obtained by following the protocol regardless of the rater's experience or time of measurement. This will be useful for foot assessment and subsequent applications, such as design and manufacture of customized orthoses or shoes. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Background: Assessment of the sole morphology provides a clinically useful measure of the foot condition, but existing methods are mostly limited to two-dimensional or non-weight-bearing conditions. The current study aimed to assess the reliability of a novel method called Single-Image-Based Pin-Array Impression Reconstruction Method (SIBPAIR) implemented on a commercial foot assessment system, and the intra-rater, inter-rater and inter-session reliability of the SIBPAIR-based protocol for three-dimensional sole morphological measurements. Methods: The reliability of the SIBPAIR method, and the intra-rater, inter-rater, and inter-session reliability of the SIBPAIR-based protocol in measuring morphological parameters of the sole were assessed by repeated measurements of fifteen young healthy adults by two male physical therapists, in terms of intra-class correlation coefficients (ICC) and standard error of measurement (SEM). Results and Conclusions: The SIBPAIR method was found to have very high reliability with very small SEM values, and the SIBPAIR-based protocol also showed very high intra-rater, inter-rater, and inter-session reliability with small SEM. These results indicate that accurate and reliable measurements could be obtained by following the protocol regardless of the rater’s experience or time of measurement. This will be useful for foot assessment and subsequent applications, such as design and manufacture of customized orthoses or shoes.

Purpose: The purpose of this study was to investigate the changes in dynamic plantar foot pressure distribution and vertical ground reaction force in normal pregnant women at their three different trimesters. Participants and methods: Nineteen normal primigravida pregnant women in their first trimester. Participants completed three trials across the plate walkway. Outcomes Measures: The primary outcome was the peak plantar foot pressure distribution under the big toe, first and fifth metatarsal heads, the heel while the secondary outcome was vertical ground reaction force normalized to the units of body weight. There were measured by RS Foot Scan in three different trimesters of pregnancy for both feet. Results: Repeated-measures analysis of variance showed a significant increase (P < 0.05) in the plantar foot pressures under heel, first and fifth metatarsal heads, and big toe between first and either second or third trimesters as well as between second and third trimesters of pregnancy for all areas except heel at both feet. Additionally, there was a significant increase in the first peak of vertical ground reaction force normalized to the units of body weight between first and third trimesters as well as between second and third trimesters at both feet. There was a significant increase in the second peak of vertical ground reaction force normalized to the units of body weight between first and either second or third trimesters at both feet. Conclusion: Pregnancy is accompanied by changes in both dynamic plantar pressure distribution and vertical ground reaction force normalized to the units of body weight.

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To determine the severity of metatarsus adductus (MA) comparing with Bleck’s classification as a commonly acceptable method for assessing MA, static foot scan has been used. In this cross-sectional descriptive research study, 100 subjects were equally divided into four groups according to Bleck’s classification. The feet were scanned and MA severity (MAS) index was measured on the obtained foot scan images. The MAS index was the ratio of the transverse deviation of the forefoot from the lateral border heel line to the width of the ball of the foot. The mean of the MAS index in normal, mild, moderate, and severe MA was 0.02 ± 0.02, 0.1 ± 0.01, 0.159 ± 0.03, and 0.216 ± 0.025, respectively. The difference of MAS index between each group was significant (p < 0.001). The mean of MAS index in 4 groups was consistent with Bleck’s classification, with a significant increase from normal to severe MA (p < 0.05). Since the results of this method are consistent with Bleck’s classification and this novel foot scan assessment appears to be more objective than Bleck’s classification, the authors recommend this method to be used in examination of patients with MA. However, further studies should be conducted to define interobserver and intraobserver reliability. Level of evidence: III. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

In this paper, a system with six depth cameras was built to scan both feet simultaneously. An improved calibration method based on a T-shaped checkerboard was used to calculate the extrinsic parameters of the cameras. T-shaped virtual checkerboards were introduced to further fine-tune the accuracy of calibration based on the iterative closest point algorithm. Based on the proposed foot scanner, a complete procedure was introduced to measure the foot automatically by locating the anatomical landmarks without manual intervention. Various experiments were presented to validate the performance of the scanner and the measurements. The results verified that the proposed methods were efficient and versatile for three-dimensional foot scanning and measurement. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Objective: To evaluate the therapeutic effect of botulinum toxin A (BTX-A) injection on spastic gastrocnemius (GCM) and tibialis posterior muscles (TPo) by using the foot pressure measurement system (FPMS)., Methods: Eighteen ambulatory CP patients were recruited in this study. BTX-A was injected into the GCM at a dose of 6-12 units/kg and TPo at a dose of 4-9 units/kg according to the severity of equinus and varus deformity. Foot contact pattern, pressure time integral (PTI), coronal index using the FPMS and Modified Ashworth Scale (MAS), and visual inspection of gait pattern were used for evaluation of the therapeutic effect of BTX-A injection. Clinical and FPMS data were statistically analyzed according to the muscle group., Results: A significant decrease in the MAS score of the GCM and TPo was observed, and spastic equinovarus pattern during gait showed improvement after injection. The GCM+TPo injection group showed a significant decrease in forefoot, lateral forefoot pad, and lateral column PTI, and a significant increase in hindfoot PTI and coronal index. In the GCM only injection group, forefoot PTI and lateral column PTI were significantly decreased and hindfoot PTI was significantly increased. The TPo only injection group showed a significant decrease in lateral column PTI and a significant increase in the coronal index. Change in PTI in the hindfoot showed a significant correlation with the change in MAS score of the GCM. Change in PTI of the lateral column and coronal index showed a significant correlation with the change in MAS score of the TPo., Conclusion: The FPMS demonstrated the quantitative therapeutic effect of BTX-A on abnormal pressure distribution in equinovarus foot in detail. The FPMS can be a useful additional tool for evaluation of the effect of BTX-A injection.