Influence of Age, Sex, and Anthropometric Determinants on the Foot Posture Index in a Paediatric Population

by MASS4D® Prescription Orthotics May 10, 2017

The aim of this study was to evaluate possible differences in The Foot Posture Index (FPI) by sex and the influences of age, weight, height, foot size and body mass index (BMI) on foot posture.

150 participants aged 8 to 13 years with no pathologic feet were included in this cross-sectional descriptive study and their weight, height, BMI, and FPI in the bipedal, static and relaxed position were measured.

FPI was measured with participants standing for approximately 2 minutes with their arms relaxed on both sides and looking straight ahead.

During puberty, a point of inflection occurs in physical development in boys and girls as a result of differences in hormone levels.

---

Offer your Patients a Custom Calibrated Insole with a 98% Patient Satisfaction Rate     know more

---

It is at this time when the blood testosterone level increases 10-fold in boys, causing a marked increase in muscle mass, while girls go through an increase in the production of oestrogen.

The results of this study indicate that there are no significant differences in the value of FPI in relation to sex in paediatric populations; this may be because the age range of the population included in this study did not reach the age at which puberty begins.

The authors observed differences between the paediatric and adult populations, with a predominance of neutral and pronated foot postures over other positions (highly pronated, supinated, and highly supinated).

The percentage of neutral feet obtained in the present study is slightly higher than pronated ones; the age range of the population is close to the average age at which puberty begins, so it is possible that part of the population studied is already experiencing skeletal and nervous muscle maturation, thereby strengthening the inner longitudinal arch support.

Copyright 2017 MASS4D® All rights reserved. 

---

Offer your Patients a Custom Calibrated Insole with a 98% Patient Satisfaction Rate     know more

---

References:

1. Jimenez-Cebrian, A. M., Morente-Bernal, M. F., Román-Bravo, P. D., Saucedo-Badía, J. F., Alonso-Ríos, J. A., Montiel-Luque, A. (2017) Influence of Age, Sex, and Anthropometric Determinants on the Foot Posture Index in a Paediatric Population. Journal of the American Podiatric Medical Association: March/April 2017, Vol. 107, No. 2, pp. 124-129

---

Also in Clinicians Blog