title: Evaluation of early walking patterns from plantar pressure distribution measurements. First year results of 42 children.
abstract: This study evaluated developmental changes of foot and gait during the first year of independent walking. In a longitudinal design, plantar pressure distribution patterns were measured with a capacitive platform every 3 months in a group of 42 normal children. The first significant changes were already found after a few weeks of independent walking. The development of the longitudinal arch correlated with significantly reduced midfoot loading parameters even though the changes showed a wide interindividual variation. This study illustrates that a child's foot goes through significant changes in shape and loading characteristics once the child starts to stand and walk. Some children showed a fairly mature appearance of the plantar pressure pattern after 1 year while others retained a more immature loading pattern.
authors.affiliation: Motion Analysis Lab, Orthopaedic Department, University Hospital Muenster, Muenster, Germany.
authors.forename: Carola
authors.initials: C
authors.lastname: Bertsch
authors.forename: Heidi
authors.initials: H
authors.lastname: Unger
authors.forename: Winfried
authors.initials: W
authors.lastname: Winkelmann
authors.forename: Dieter
authors.initials: D
authors.lastname: Rosenbaum
mesh_terms: D000886:Anthropometry; D001696:Biomechanical Phenomena; D002657:Child Development; D005260:Female; D005528:Foot / Q000502:physiology*; D005684:Gait / Q000502:physiology*; D006801:Humans; D007223:Infant; D008137:Longitudinal Studies; D008297:Male; D011312:Pressure; D016138:Walking / Q000502:physiology*; D016474:Weight-Bearing