Hikawa Kohei, Tsutsui Toshiharu, Ueyama Takehiro, Yang Jin, Hara Yukina, Torii Suguru
Graduate School of Sport Sciences, Waseda University, Tokorozawa, Saitama, Japan.
Faculty of Sport Sciences, Waseda University, 2-579-15 Mikajima, Tokorozawa, Saitama, 359-1192, Japan.
BMC Sports Sci Med Rehabil. 2022 Nov 14;14(1):193. doi: 10.1186/s13102-022-00590-3.
A flat foot is a common cause of chronic sports injuries and therefore many opportunities for arch support interventions exist. However, young athletes change their foot morphology due to developmental influences even without intervention. Therefore, developmental influences need to be considered when examining the effects of arch support, but there have not been sufficient longitudinal studies to date. This study aimed to determine the effect of the arch support intervention by performing a 9-weeks arch support intervention on the foot morphology and cross-sectional area of the foot muscles in flat-footed young athletes. Thirty-one elementary school boys (Age 11.4 ± 0.5 years, Height 145.2 ± 7.4 cm, Weight 38.8 ± 8.3 kg, BMI 18.2 ± 2.2 kg/m) with a decreased medial longitudinal arch in the foot posture index were selected as participants from a local soccer club and randomly divided into two groups.
In one group, in the intervention period, an existing arch supporter was used to provide arch support, while in the other group, no special intervention was provided in the observation period. To account for developmental effects, the intervention study was conducted as an 18-weeks crossover study in which the intervention and observational phases were switched at 9 weeks after the intervention. Foot morphology was assessed using a three-dimensional foot measuring machine, and the cross-sectional area (CSA) of the internal and external muscles of the foot was assessed using an ultrasound imaging device. We examined the effect of the intervention by comparing the amount of change in the measurement results between the intervention and observation periods using corresponding t-tests and Wilcoxon signed-rank sum test, analysis of covariance methods.
After adapting the exclusion criteria, 14 patients (28 feet) were included in the final analysis. The CSA of the abductor hallucis muscle (ABH) increased 9.7% during the intervention period and 3.0% during the observation period (p = 0.01). The CSA of the flexor digitorum longus muscle (FDL) increased 7.7% during the intervention period and 4.2% during the observation period (p = 0.02).
A 9-weeks arch supporter intervention may promote the development of the ABH and FDL CSA in young flat-footed soccer players.
扁平足是慢性运动损伤的常见原因，因此存在许多进行足弓支撑干预的机会。然而，即使没有干预，年轻运动员也会因发育影响而改变足部形态。因此，在研究足弓支撑的效果时需要考虑发育影响，但迄今为止尚无足够的纵向研究。本研究旨在通过对扁平足年轻运动员进行为期9周的足弓支撑干预，来确定足弓支撑干预对足部形态和足部肌肉横截面积的影响。从当地一家足球俱乐部挑选出31名小学男生（年龄11.4±0.5岁，身高145.2±7.4厘米，体重38.8±8.3千克，体重指数18.2±2.2千克/平方米）作为参与者，他们的足部姿势指数显示内侧纵弓降低。
在一组中，在干预期使用现有的足弓支撑器提供足弓支撑，而在另一组中，在观察期不进行特殊干预。为了考虑发育影响，干预研究作为一项为期18周的交叉研究进行，其中干预阶段和观察阶段在干预9周后切换。使用三维足部测量仪评估足部形态，使用超声成像设备评估足部内外侧肌肉的横截面积（CSA）。我们通过使用相应的t检验、威尔科克森符号秩和检验以及协方差分析方法比较干预期和观察期测量结果的变化量，来研究干预的效果。
在采用排除标准后，最终分析纳入了14名患者（28只脚）。拇展肌（ABH）的CSA在干预期增加了9.7%，在观察期增加了3.0%（p = 0.01）。趾长屈肌（FDL）的CSA在干预期增加了7.7%，在观察期增加了4.2%（p = 0.02）。
为期9周的足弓支撑器干预可能促进扁平足年轻足球运动员ABH和FDL的CSA发育。
