Acute Effects o Foot Orthosis on Lower Limb Joint Angular Velocities During Normal Gait

Background and Aims The use of arch support foot orthoses is becoming quite widesprea in the management of foot pathologies. This study examined how lower limb joint angular velocities change with wearing arch support foot orthoses. Methods In this semi-experimental study, 20 healthy male volunteers (age: 34.2±8.9 years; height: 173.5±5.4 cm; mass: 76.3±13.5 kg; and BMI: 25.7±9.1 kg/m2) participated. The participants completed ten walking trials at a self-selected walking speed while 3-dimensional kinematic data of their ankle, knee, and hip joints were collected. Paired samples t-test was used for comparing two conditions: shod with no orthoses and shod with arch support foot orthoses. Results The use of arch support foot orthoses decreased joint angular velocity for the hip extension (P=0.000) and ankle dorsiflexion (P=0.02) compared to walking without orthoses. However, results revealed no significant differences in knee joint angular velocity values between both walking conditions (P=0.16). Conclusion We concluded that arch support foot orthoses can decrease ankle and hip joint angular velocities. The use of arch-support foot orthoses reduces the risk of overuse injuries by decreasing lower limb joint angular velocities.