Investigation of the podiatric model of foot biomechanics

AbstractBackground: Understanding the biomechanical function of the normal human foot is essential so to be able to determine the parameters of what is the abnormal or pathological foot. The current model used in podiatry to describe the normal biomechanical function and assessment of the foot presents many key difficulties. Such as the poor reliability and questionable validity of many of the examinations used in the assessment of the foot and the incorrect assumption that all normal feet will display exactly the same biomechanical function during walking. Although technological advancements in gait analysis have improved our understanding of foot biomechanics this new information has not yet not yet significantly changed clinical practice.Objectives: The aim of this investigation was a. Derive a consensus on what podiatrists currently use for conducting a static biomechanical assessment of the foot, b. To test the Root et al (1971, 1977) description of the function of the foot during gait cycle and c. To determine if the measurements obtained from a static biomechanical assessment of the foot as described by Root et al (1971, 1977) can predict the movement of the foot during the gait cycle.Methods: Data was collected from 100 asymptomatic participants and included a static biomechanical assessment of the foot developed from the consensus agreement in part a. and the measurement of the three dimensional kinematic function of the foot during the gait cycle using a six segment foot model.XVIResults: The results indicate that there is a large variation in the kinematic function of feet during walking and the results of a static biomechanical assessment of the foot cannot predict the dynamic function of the foot.Conclusions: This suggests that the key principles of the current model used to describe the biomechanical function of the normal foot in podiatry are incorrect and the methods used by podiatrists in clinical practice are not valid