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Abstract:
Understanding the biomechanical function of the normal human foot is essential so to be able to determine the parameters of what is the abnormal or pathological foot. The current model used in podiatry to describe the normal biomechanical function and assessment of the foot presents many key difficulties. Such as the poor reliability and questionable validity of many of the examinations used in the assessment of the foot and the incorrect assumption that all normal feet will display exactly the same biomechanical function during walking. Although technological advancements in gait analysis have improved our understanding of foot biomechanics this new information has not yet not yet significantly changed clinical practice. Objectives: The aim of this investigation was a. Derive a consensus on what podiatrists currently use for conducting a static biomechanical assessment of the foot, b. To test the Root et al (1971, 1977) description of the function of the foot during gait cycle and c. To determine if the measurements obtained from a static biomechanical assessment of the foot as described by Root et al (1971, 1977) can predict the movement of the foot during the gait cycle. Methods: Data was collected from 100 asymptomatic participants and included a static biomechanical assessment of the foot developed from the consensus agreement in part a. and the measurement of the three dimensional kinematic function of the foot during the gait cycle using a six segment foot model. XVI Results: The results indicate that there is a large variation in the kinematic function of feet during walking and the results of a static biomechanical assessment of the foot cannot predict the dynamic function of the foot. Conclusions: This suggests that the key principles of the current model used to describe the biomechanical function of the normal foot in podiatry are incorrect and the methods used by podiatrists in clinical practice are not valid.

http://usir.salford.ac.uk/29381/


toeslayer

 

Investigation of the podiatric model of foot biomechanics

 

And yet we get such good outcomes, we must be the luckiest bunch of clinicians. :rolleyes:

Dave

 

I believe this assumption about 'normal' assessment assumptions may be a fundamental flaw in this research.

Most modern clinicians who are not stuck in 1971 will be using tissue stress analysis and designing biomechanical interventions to change the forces causing pathological stress in the tissue of interest. They are not trying to restore a 'normal function' where normal has pre determined kinematic parameters.

regards Dave Smith

 

Quite

They would appear to be evaluating the wrong thing. Just the abstract makes this paper completely moot for the reasons you have given above