title: A technique for measuring absolute toe pressures: evaluation of pressure-sensitive film techniques.
abstract: Although a number of pathologies of the forefoot in ballet dancers on pointe have been described, pressures and deforming forces have not been adequately measured. To evaluate the possible use of pressure-sensitive film (PSF) in measuring the pressures on the external soft tissues in such a confined space as the dancer's toe shoe, it was tested and calibrated with 20 cadaver toes. Each cadaver toe was internally stabilized and loaded longitudinally against PSF on a flat surface. The resultant films were analyzed with a video imaging system and the pressures and total forces were determined. Results showed that the linearity of the PSF to pressure had a regression value of 0.98. By using two sensitivity ranges of films, the total force measured by the PSF was found to be within 10% of the known applied force on each toe. The PSF, therefore, may very well be a useful and accurate method of measuring external soft tissue pressures on the forefoot.
authors.affiliation: Department of Orthopedic Surgery, SUNY Health Science Center.
authors.forename: A S
authors.initials: AS
authors.lastname: Tuckman
authors.forename: F W
authors.initials: FW
authors.lastname: Werner
authors.forename: M D
authors.initials: MD
authors.lastname: Fortino
authors.forename: J A
authors.initials: JA
authors.lastname: Spadaro
mesh_terms: D001696:Biomechanical Phenomena; D002102:Cadaver; D003615:Dancing; D006801:Humans; D008722:Methods; D011312:Pressure; D011859:Radiography; D014034:Toes / Q000000981:diagnostic imaging / Q000502:physiology*