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Effect of a five-toed minimal protection shoe on static and dynamic ankle position sense.
Squadrone R, Gallozzi C.
J Sports Med Phys Fitness. 2011 Sep;51(3):401-8.

 

Without having read the article.. 2 points come to mind.

Is better position sense needed? Is shod position sense good enough to prevent problems? It just might be.

Is sagittal plane incline position sense relevant to anything? In my opinion, frontal plane position sense would be much more important in risk of injury.

Eric

 

I recall reading claims that one of the reasons that running shoes are so evil and dangerous is that the lateral heel flare increases the risk for angle sprains. With a bit of a stretch, the above study could suggest that Vibram could be theoretically better at reducing ankle sprains due to better joint position sense .... the only problem with that is, the number of ankle sprains in runners is so low, I have never seen them turn up as an injury in all the epidemiological studies of running injuries. I am waiting for the headlines to appear: Vibram Five Finger Reduce Ankle Sprains, as that is the sort of leap of faith that gets made by the Church ... and it was not even a study on ankle sprains!

 

They certainly help you stand up better....while naked.....

Hey you....quit looking at her like that!!

 

Like Eric, I am yet to read the full text of this article. However when I do I shall be looking keenly at the methodology. If they got people to run in either five fingers or running shoes upon a treadmill and varied the sagittal plane inclination of the treadmill and then asked the individuals to "guess" the angle I hope that they took the sagittal plane pitch of the shoes into account. That is, the traditional shoes have a heel height differential which effectively alters the surface inclination and plantarflexes the ankle joint. The amount the shoe plantarflexes the joint must be known for each individual and taken into account. Lets say we know the traditional shoes plantarflex my ankle joint by 3 degrees. I run on an upward inclined surface of 10 degrees, the researchers ask me to guess the incline, I say 7 degrees, they say I'm 3 degrees out with my guess, I say no I'm not, I'm spot on.

Like I said, I haven't read the full text yet, so I'm speculating but I hope they took this into account.

 

Maybe instead of looking at whether minimalist/barefoot shoes are 'bad' or 'good', we should be concentrating on pooling our thoughts on what kinds of solutions for particular injuries podiatrists are able to offer the barefoot runner who wont go back to shoes? Maybe, then..if we are unable to treat these unshod problems we can start preaching about shoes/insoles/orths?

 

"Top of Foot Pain" from Barefoot Running & Re-engineering Foot Strike

 

Hello everyone,

I am a final year Podiatry Studen a UWIC (CARDIFF met) as known now.

As a final year project I am setting out to do a measure difference in Forefoot plantar pressure in high and low gear sagittal plane movements, using vibram five fingers and barefeet. this will be measured using EMED X system.

Any views on this.

Dharati Patel
UWIC Podling

 

Sounds good.
How many subjects? I would have thought 10 in each cohort for your needs?

 

Are you going to ask the subjects to change gears? Are you referring yo bosjen-moller's high and loe gear?

 

Hiya eFuller,

I am referring to Bosjen-moller's high and Low gear but will be asking the subjects to change the gears

Dharati Patel
UWIC Podling

 

Hello Davidh

Your question has made me think and yes I would be using 10 participants for high and low gear.

thank you for your input.

Regards
Dharati
UWIC Podling

 

Have you read the Hicks article on the function of the muscles. The one with the roman numeral IV? Essentially you will be replicating that 1954 study, but with much less control. (I feel that every student should read that study.) The subjects will have to use their muscles to change gears and what you will be measuring is the effect of those muscles.

I believe there is a pdf of that paper in the classic papers thread.
Eric

 

Hi Eric,

No I havent read it would I find it on Podiatry Areana site or can I find it anywhere.

please let me know if you know where can I find it.

Regards
dharati

 

To help ensure the correct paper is provided, would you be referring to the 1956 paper in the list below?

Hicks, J. H. (1953). The mechanics of the foot. I. The joints. J Anat, 87(4), 345-357.
Hicks, J. H. (1954). The mechanics of the foot. II. The plantar aponeurosis and the arch. J Anat, 88(1), 25-30.
Hicks, J. H. (1955). The mechanics of the foot III. The foot as a support. Acta Anat., 25, 34.
Hicks, J. H. (1956). The mechanics of the foot. IV. The action of muscles on the foot in standing. Acta Anat (Basel), 27(3), 180-192.

 

Here's the paper you should read. All of Hicks' papers are classics. The other papers are located on a thread where I included quite a few other important papers: Important Historical Biomechanics Papers

 

Yes, I was referring to the 1956 paper. All of the others are good too, but for the proposed study the 1956 paper is the most relevant

Eric

 

Hello, Kevin

thank you for the paper I did look on the post that you had made on the Biomechanical Papers but I could not access it it asked for a password.

However thank you again and yes I will be looking at the 1956 paper.

Regards
Dharati Patel

 

Hi all

are there many studies done in the past using Vibram five fingers? if so where is the place to look because i have looked at a quite a few reports but there is always the fear of whether it is true or not.

Dharati Patel

 

Question for everyone

Would a Randomised control trial be appropriate for the study I am doing on vibrant five because I know it is a gold standard. I am looking to see if the difference in forefoot plantar pressure in high and low gear wearing vibram five fingers and barefoot

Any views , I have tried to think it but do not know how I can randomise it. Or can I just use rct with comparison study without a control group?!?