title: Severe obesity: effects on foot mechanics during walking.
abstract: The purpose of our study was to determine the effects of severe obesity on the foot mechanics of adult females. Twenty-nine adult females between the ages of 20 and 48 years volunteered as subjects for this investigation. The subjects were separated into a severely obese (O) group (body mass index = 41.14 +/- 2.61; N = 16) and a normal weight control group (body mass index = 20.84 +/- 0.47; N = 13). A Locam camera (100 Hz) positioned perpendicular to the subjects' posterior aspect was used to film the rearfoot movement of the subjects during the final 15 sec of a 10 min treadmill walk. The O group had a significantly greater touchdown angle (P = .05), more total eversion range of motion (P = .001), and a faster maximum eversion velocity (P < .001). Moreover, analysis of dynamic foot angles indicated that the O group had significantly (P = .003) more forefoot abduction. Finally, anthropometric data revealed statistically different (P < .001) Q angle measurements between the O and control groups. The results of this study suggest that severely obese females have significantly greater rearfoot motion, foot angle, and Q angle values than normal weight females.
authors.affiliation: J. B. Snow Biomechanics Laboratory, Department of Health and Sport Science, Wake Forest University, Winston-Salem, North Carolina 27109.
authors.forename: S P
authors.initials: SP
authors.lastname: Messier
authors.forename: A B
authors.initials: AB
authors.lastname: Davies
authors.forename: D T
authors.initials: DT
authors.lastname: Moore
authors.forename: S E
authors.initials: SE
authors.lastname: Davis
authors.forename: R J
authors.initials: RJ
authors.lastname: Pack
authors.forename: S C
authors.initials: SC
authors.lastname: Kazmar
mesh_terms: D000203:Activities of Daily Living; D000328:Adult; D000704:Analysis of Variance; D000886:Anthropometry; D001696:Biomechanical Phenomena; D015992:Body Mass Index; D016022:Case-Control Studies; D015444:Exercise; D005080:Exercise Test; D005260:Female; D005684:Gait / Q000502:physiology*; D006801:Humans; D008875:Middle Aged; D009765:Obesity / Q000150:complications / Q000503:physiopathology*; D016059:Range of Motion, Articular; D012720:Severity of Illness Index; D013640:Tarsal Joints / Q000503:physiopathology*