Flatfeet in those with learning difficulties

NewsBot · Jan 31, 2006

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The latest issue of Biomechanics has this short report:
Orthoses, exercises improve flat feet in children

Wearing orthoses and performing exercises improves the medial arch in the feet of children with hypotonia and flat foot dysfunction, suggested a poster presentation at the American Orthotic & Prosthetic Association's 2005 National Assembly in September.
The study's author, Charmayne Ross, DPTSc, physical therapy director at Dynamic Therapies in Arcadia, CA, assigned 37 children ages 18 months through five years to one of three groups: orthosis-exercise, whose 12 subjects were instructed to wear Cascade DAFO HotDog orthoses and to perform two sets of 10 heel lifts during twice-weekly physical therapy sessions; orthosis, whose 13 subjects also wore the orthoses but did no exercises; and a 12-subject control group that received no interventions. All study subjects had developmental difficulties, including autism and Down syndrome.

Arch index, velocity, step length, single limb support, and cadence were measured using the GAITRite Portable Walkway System at baseline and over a six-month period.

The orthosis group had significant arch index changes from baseline to six months, the orthosis-exercise group's arch results approached significance, and the control group's arches became worse. As to why the orthosis-exercise group did not see significant arch improvements, Ross pointed to the study's relatively small sample size and hypothesized that the children in that group may not have worn their orthoses enough. The other gait measures changed significantly for all three groups, although the orthosis and orthosis-exercise groups experienced greater changes.

"Physical therapy works," Ross said of the study's results. "Early intervention is worthwhile."
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admin · Feb 1, 2006

Commercial info on Cascade Dafo here:
http://www.dafo.com/index.cfm?do=page&pageID=2252

davidh · Feb 1, 2006

Hi NewsBot,

You reported (much cut):
""Physical therapy works," Ross said of the study's results. "Early intervention is worthwhile."

Hmmmm. aren't the cohorts a little small in this study?

Regards,
davidh

Craig Payne · Feb 1, 2006

aren't the cohorts a little small in this study?
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You right - but it was just a news report from Biomechanics and not data was given in the story, so we can not judge that statement

Small sample sizes are not necessarily a problem if the effect size was large (in fact if the effect size was large, it would be unethical to deny the control group the intervention).

NewsBot · Jan 21, 2014

An investigation of the factors affecting flatfoot in children with delayed motor development
Kun-Chung Chen et al
Research in Developmental Disabilities; Available online 17 January 2014

This study investigated the prevalence of flatfoot in children with delayed motor development and the relevant factors affecting it. In total, 121 preschool-aged children aged 3–6 with delayed motor development (male: 81; female: 40) were enrolled in the motor-developmentally delayed children group, and 4 times that number, a total of 484 children (male: 324; female: 160), of gender- and age-matched normal developmental children were used as a control group for further analyses. The age was from 3.0 to 6.9 years old for the participants. The judgment criterion of flatfoot was the Chippaux-Smirak index >62.70%, in footprint measurement. The results showed that the prevalence of flatfoot in children with motor developmental delay was higher than that in normal developmental children, approximately 58.7%, and that it decreased with age from 62.8% of 3-year-olds to 50.0% of 6-year-olds. The results also showed that motor-developmentally delayed children with flatfoot are at about 1.5 times the risk of normal developmental children (odds ratio = 1.511, p = 0.005). In addition, the prevalence of flatfoot is relatively higher in overweight children with delayed motor development, and that in obese children is even as high as 95.8% (23/24). Children with both excessive joint laxity and delayed development are more likely to suffer from flatfoot. The findings of this study can serve as a reference for clinical workers to deal with foot issues in children with delayed motor development.
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Highlights
• The prevalence of flatfoot is higher in preschool-aged children with delayed motor development than in those with normal motor development.
• Overweight children with delayed motor development are more likely to suffer from flatfoot.
• Children with both excessive joint laxity and delayed motor development are more likely to suffer from flatfoot.
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