Effect of Orthotics on Postural Sway After Fatigue of the Plantar Flexors

Objective: To examine the effects of orthotic intervention on unilateral postural sway after fatigue of the plantar flexor and dorsiflexor muscle groups. Design and Setting: Subjects were assigned to both or-thotic and nonorthotic testing conditions in a counterbalanced order, then assessed for postural sway before and after isoki-netic fatiguing contractions of the plantar flexors and dorsiflex-ors. Postural stability was measured on the motor-dominant extremity. (Motor dominance was assessed as the foot the subject used to kick a ball.) Subjects: Eleven active, healthy male subjects (mean age 5 24 6 2.0 years, wt 5 74.5 6 8.8 kg, ht 5 180.3 6 8.4 cm) volunteered to participate in the study. Measurements: Center-of-pressure postural sway was as-sessed via the force platforms of a Chattecx Dynamic Balanc