Article

The purpose of this study was to investigate the kinematics of normal arched and
low arched feet in children and use this data to quantify the differences between
the two foot types during walking gait. Multi-segment foot motion was measured,
using the Heidelberg foot measurement method (HFMM), for 25 normal arched feet
and 27 low arched feet in 9-12-year-old children. The kinematic differences in
the foot between the two groups during walking were relatively small, except for
the medial arch and forefoot supination angles. The magnitude of the medial arch
angle was approximately 10 degrees greater in the low arched group than the
normal arched group throughout the gait cycle. There was a significant difference
found in the forefoot supination angle (p<0.03), relative to the midfoot, between
the two groups at initial heel strike, and maximum and minimum values throughout
the gait cycle. The values for the normal group were significantly higher in all
these angles indicating that the forefoot of the low arched foot remains less
pronated during the gait cycle. There was no significant difference in the motion
of the rearfoot between the two foot types. The results of this study provide
normative values for children's feet and highlight the mechanical differences in
flexible flat feet in this age group. This data contributes to knowledge on foot
kinematics in children and will be valuable for future research on the structure,
function and potential treatment of the flexible flat foot.
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