A study of footprints in athletes and non-athletic people.
Footprint analysis is a simple, cost-effective and readily available method for evaluation of flat feet, to identify a person in forensic content and for shoe manufacturing.


OBJECTIVE
To examine the footprints in athletes and non-athletes and to compare their foot print measurements.


METHODS
Four hundred and ninety-two athletes and four hundred and thirty-one non-athletes were recruited. Their age range was eighteen to thirty five years. The athletes were classified by sport level : national and non-national athletes. Footprint devices, foot impression system, produced by Berkemann Company was used. The right and left foot of each subject were measured separately in a standing position. Descriptive Statistics, ANOVA, chi-square test and simple correlation were used in this study.


RESULTS
The length between the heel to the first toe was shorter than that of to the second toe in national athletes. This finding was opposite to the non-athletes. The metatarsal distance in national atheletes were significantly wider than the others. The ratio of the length of footprint and body height showed significant difference between athletes and non-athletes. The Flat Index of national athletes was longer than the others. In males, the percentage of the state of contacting the ground of the fifth toe was significantly higher among athletes than non-athletes.


CONCLUSIONS
The footprint parameters were somewhat different between persons who had experience in sport level and general non-athletic people.
Kulthanan
Teerawat
T
Department of Orthopaedic Surgery, Faculty of Medicine, Siriraj Hospital, Mahidol University, Bangkok 10700, Thailand.
Techakampuch
Sith
S
Bed
Natee Donphongam
ND
D000293:Adolescent; D000328:Adult; D000886:Anthropometry; D005260:Female; D005528:Foot / Q000033:anatomy & histology*; D006801:Humans; D008297:Male; D008684:Metatarsus / Q000033:anatomy & histology; D013177:Sports