Dickson Jodie, Paton Glen James, Choonara Yaasirah Mohomed
Department of Chiropractic, University of Johannesburg, Johannesburg 2006, South Africa.
Department of Podiatry, University of Johannesburg, Johannesburg 2006, South Africa.
J Funct Morphol Kinesiol. 2025 Jul 16;10(3):273. doi: 10.3390/jfmk10030273.
Pes planus is a condition where the arch of the foot collapses, resulting in the entire sole contacting the ground. The biomechanical implications of pes planus on gait have been widely studied; however, research specific to Black African populations, particularly recreational runners, is scarce. This study aimed to describe the forefoot centre of pressure (CoP) trajectory during the barefoot gait cycle among Black African recreational runners with pes planus. A prospective explorative and quantitative study design was employed. Participants included Black African male recreational runners aged 18 to 45 years diagnosed with pes planus. A Freemed™ 6050 force plate was used to collect gait data. Statistical analysis included cross-tabulations to identify patterns. This study included 104 male participants across seven weight categories, with the majority in the 70-to-79 kg range (34.6%, n = 36). Most participants with pes planus showed a neutral foot posture (74.0%, n = 77) on the foot posture index 6 (FPI-6) scale. Flexible pes planus (94.2%, n = 98) was much more common than rigid pes planus (5.8%, n = 6). Lateral displacement of the CoP was observed in the right forefoot (90.4%, n = 94) and left forefoot (57.7%, n = 60). Load distribution patterns differed between feet, with the right foot favouring the medial heel, arch, and metatarsal heads, while the left foot favoured the lateral heel, medial heel, and lateral arch. No statistical significance was found in the cross-tabulations, but notable lateral CoP displacement in the forefoot was observed. The findings challenge the traditional view of pes planus causing overpronation and highlight the need for clinicians to reconsider standard diagnostic and management approaches. Further research is needed to explore the implications of these findings for injury prevention and management in this population.
扁平足是一种足弓塌陷的状况，导致整个脚底接触地面。扁平足对步态的生物力学影响已得到广泛研究；然而，针对非洲黑人人群，尤其是业余跑步者的具体研究却很匮乏。本研究旨在描述患有扁平足的非洲黑人业余跑步者在赤足步态周期中前足压力中心（CoP）的轨迹。采用了前瞻性探索性定量研究设计。参与者包括年龄在18至45岁之间、被诊断为扁平足的非洲黑人男性业余跑步者。使用Freemed™ 6050测力台收集步态数据。统计分析包括交叉列表以识别模式。本研究纳入了104名男性参与者，分为七个体重类别，大多数在70至79千克范围内（34.6%，n = 36）。在足部姿势指数6（FPI - 6）量表上，大多数患有扁平足的参与者表现出中立的足部姿势（74.0%，n = 77）。柔性扁平足（94.2%，n = 98）比刚性扁平足（5.8%，n = 6）更为常见。在右前足（90.4%，n = 9）和左前足（57.7%，n = 60）观察到CoP的侧向位移。两脚之间的负荷分布模式不同，右脚更倾向于内侧足跟、足弓和跖骨头，而左脚更倾向于外侧足跟、内侧足跟和外侧足弓。交叉列表中未发现统计学意义，但在前足观察到了明显的CoP侧向位移。这些发现挑战了扁平足导致过度内旋的传统观点，并强调临床医生需要重新考虑标准的诊断和管理方法。需要进一步研究来探索这些发现对该人群损伤预防和管理的影响。
