Elena Escamilla Martínez

Comparison of plantar pressures and contact area between normal and cavus foot.

BACKGROUND In pes cavus, the medial longitudinal arch elevation reduces the contact surface area and consequently increases the corresponding plantar pressure measurements. This poor distribution of loads may produce associated pathology and pain in this or other areas of the body. Normal reference values need to be established in order to determine which patterns are prone to pathology. OBJECTIVES To compare the plantar pressures and weight-bearing surface in a population with pes cavus to a population with neutral feet. METHOD The sample comprised 68 adults, 34 with pes cavus and 34 with neutral feet. The Footscan USB Gait Clinical System(®) was used as a platform to measure the total contact area and plantar pressure under the forefoot, midfoot, hindfoot, each metatarsal head, and the overall metatarsal area. A statistical analysis of the data was performed using Students t-test for independent samples. RESULTS The pes cavus subjects showed a significant reduction in their weight-bearing area [neutral feet: 165.04 ( ± 20.68) cm(2); pes cavus: 118.26 ( ± 30.31) cm(2); p < 0.001] and significantly increased pressures under all zones of the forefoot except the fifth metatarsal [metatarsal pressure: in neutral feet 503,797 ( ± 9.32) kPa; in pes cavus 656.12 ( ± 22.39) kPa; p < 0.001]. CONCLUSIONS Compared to neutral feet, pes cavus feet show a reduction in total contact surface and the load under the first toe. A significant increase is present in the load under the metatarsal areas, but the relative distribution of this load is similar in both groups.

The foot posture index: anthropometric determinants and influence of sex.

Background: The Foot Posture Index (FPI) quantifies foot posture on the basis of six criteria. Although the male foot is longer and broader than the female foot, limited evidence exists about the d...

The Effect of Adductor Tendon Transposition in the Modified McBride Procedure

The modified McBride technique is widely used in bunion surgery. The aim of this report is to analyze the influence that transferring the adductor hallucis tendon had on the first intermetatarsal angle (IMA), hallux abductus angle (HAA), and tibial sesamoid position (TSP) when used to correct the hallux valgus deformity. A prospective study was conducted of 31 hallux abducto valgus patients. A modified McBride procedure was performed to repair the deformity. In 16 patients (group 1), the adductor tendon was transferred, and in 15 (group 2), it was not. The tendon transfer was at random. The preoperative and postoperative variables IMA, HAA, and TSP were measured and analyzed by means of univariate and multivariate statistics. In group 1, the preoperative values of the first IMA and the HAA averaged 13.5° and 30°, respectively, decreasing postoperatively to 10.3° and 10.7°. In group 2, the corresponding preoperative angles were 12.9° and 25.6°, and the postoperative angles were 9.7° and 10°. There were no statistically significant differences between the 2 groups in the correction of the IMA, HAA, and TSP. As measured by the aforementioned radiographic measurements, there is no advantage in transferring the adductor hallucis tendon to the first metatarsophalangeal joint capsule in the correction of hallux valgus