Relations between morphological features of feet in elderly people

Abstract

Introduction: Human foot make up the functional whole, thus changes in one of them may contribute to activating individual compensating mechanisms leading to disorders in the shape of the remaining segments and dysfunctions and consequently to complications in other elements of the motor system. Aim of the research: Analyze correlations between characteristics of feet structure in women and men over 60. Material and methods: The research conducted by podoscopic method involved seniors from the Podkarpackie and the Małopolskie voivodeships, including 116 females and 82 males. Tested persons were divided into three age groups (60-69 years, 70-79 years, 80-90 years). The following indices were analyzed: the Clarke's angle, Wejsflog's index (W wp), heel angle (γ), hallux valgus angle (α), and the V toe varus deformity angle (β). In order to evaluate the correlations between characteristics of feet structure the Spearman's rank correlation was employed. Results: We observed a statistically significant correlations of the hallux valgus angle and Clarke's angle as well as between the V toe varus deformity angle with the Wejsflog's index and the heel angle in the absence of statistically significant associations between V toe varus deformity angle and Clarke's angle. Conclusions: Changes in different parts of the foot that result from involution processes increasingly interact with one another in the elderly age. Prevention of foot deformities and dysfunctions should focus primarily on maintaining or restoring the capacity of foot muscles, improving proprioception and proper selection of footwear, which should not distort the shape and function of the frontal foot segments. Streszczenie Wprowadzenie: Stopa ludzka stanowi funkcjonalną całość, dlatego zmiany w jednym z segmentów mogą stanowić przyczynę uruchomienia zmiennych osobniczo mechanizmów kompensacyjnych, prowadząc do zaburzeń w ukształtowaniu pozostałych segmentów i dysfunkcji, a w konsekwencji również powikłań w obrębie innych elementów narządu ruchu. Cel pracy: Analiza związków pomiędzy cechami stóp u kobiet i mężczyzn po 60. roku życia. Materiał i metody: Badaniami metodą podoskopową objęto seniorów z województwa podkarpackiego i małopolskiego, w tym 116 kobiet i 82 mężczyzn. Badanych kwalifikowano do 3 przedziałów wieku: 60-69 lat, 70-79 lat, 80-90 lat. W analizach uwzględniono następujące wskaźniki: kąt Clarke'a, wskaźnik W wp Wejsfloga, kąt piętowy (γ), kąt koślawości palucha (α), kąt szpotawości V palca (β). Do oceny związków między cechami budowy stóp zastosowano korelację rang Spearmana. Wyniki: Stwierdzono statystycznie istotne związki między kątem koślawości palucha (α) a kątem Clarke'a oraz między kątem szpotawości V palca a wskaźnikiem Wwp Wejsfloga i kątem piętowym wobec braku statystycznie istotnych związków kąta szpotawości V palca z kątem Clarke'a. Wnioski: W wieku podeszłym na skutek procesów inwolucyjnych zmiany w poszczególnych częściach stopy coraz silniej na siebie oddziałują. W działaniach zapobiegających zniekształceniom i dysfunkcjom stóp ...

Body weight-dependent foot loads, assessed in terms of BMI and adiposity, in school-aged children: a cross sectional study

“…Values of e.g. 2.10 attest to a transverse flatness of the foot, whereas the 2.97 ratio confirms an anatomically correct transverse vaulting of the foot 17,18,40 .…”

“…While appraising oneself of the biomechanics of a human body, foot pressure and foot load as the key factors should primarily be taken into account. Specifically targeted studies, conducted both in adults and children, highlight the fact that abnormalities in the feet consequently affect the skeletal-articular system at large 15 – 18 . Presently, wide availability of modern, non-invasive test platforms facilitates measuring the pressure of the plantar part of the foot, while standing and walking.…”

“…The Clarke's angle and Wejsflog index were assessed. The Clarke's angle below 30º is construed synonymous with flat-footedness, values within the 31°-41° range denote a foot with a lowered longitudinal vaulting, the ones within the 42°-54° range attest to its anatomically correct vaulting, whereas the angle over 55° attests to a high-arched foot 17,18,40 . Taking into account the values of the Wejsflog index, the transverse vaulting of the foot is assessed.…”

Foot Deformities in Women Are Associated with Wearing High-Heeled Shoes

“…The feet of women who wear high-heeled shoes become more susceptible to degenerative changes in the active-passive stabilizers area, as well as to more appreciable deformations within their anterior-central edge. The accompanying painfulness naturally prompts women to seek ways to relieve the antero-medial edge, which in turn can further hurt the feet [22]. Our previous studies demonstrated that foot deformities reduced overall postural stability in later life [23].…”

Extraction of the Proximal Phalanx: A New Option in Surgical Treatment of the Crossover Second Toe

“…There are a few studies which showed that deformities of the toes have a great impact on other parts of the musculoskeletal system and balance, especially in elderly people [7,8]. Mentioned studies showed that shape of the foot is also very important for postural stability.…”