Characteristics of foot ailments in Ege region [Ege bölgesindeki ayak problemlerinin özellikleri]

Objective: Foot pain is one of the most frequent health problems in the general population and is a challenging clinical situation for the health professional, since the etiology of painful and deformed feet is poorly understood. The aim of the study was to investigate the foot pain and plantar foot loading characteristics to determine foot ailments in people who live in Ege Region. Pedography was used to analyse foot loading parameters during barefoot walking. We also aimed to find a correlation between the clinical diagnosis and pedographic findings. Material and Methods: A total of 1321 subjects (2642 feet) were evaluated. Subjects were categorized according to foot type to examine the effects on foot problems. Foot discomfort was noted according to individuals' complaints and clinical diagnosis. Results: In the present study lowering of transverse arch has been seen as the most common foot ailment (80.5%) in the study population. The other common foot problems were pesplanovalgus (19.3%) and lateral foot loading (16.4%). Foot disorders were mostly seen in overweight women, and this increased with increasing age. Most of the subjects had Greek foot type (59.1%) and lowering of transverse arch was found least often in this foot type. Conclusion: There was direct relationship of foot problems with gender, age, body mass index, foot type and profession. In some cases clinic diagnoses were found to disagree with pedographic analysis. This study highlights the importance of foot loading examination for people of all ages for early diagnosis of foot deformities. © 2010 by Türkiye Klinikleri