title: Custom-molded foot-orthosis intervention and multisegment medial foot kinematics during walking.
abstract: BACKGROUND
  Foot-orthosis (FO) intervention to prevent and treat numerous lower extremity injuries is widely accepted clinically. However, the results of quantitative gait analyses have been equivocal. The foot models used, participants receiving intervention, and orthoses  used might contribute to the variability.
  
  
  OBJECTIVE
  To investigate the effect of a custom-molded FO intervention on multisegment medial foot kinematics during walking in participants with low-mobile foot posture.
  
  
  METHODS
  Crossover study.
  
  
  METHODS
  University biomechanics and ergonomics laboratory.
  
  
  METHODS
  Sixteen participants with low-mobile foot posture (7 men, 9 women) were assigned randomly to 1 of 2 FO groups.
  
  
  METHODS
  After a 2-week period to break in the FOs,  individuals participated in a gait analysis that consisted of 5 successful walking trials (1.3 to 1.4 m/s) during no-FO and FO conditions.
  
  
  METHODS
  Three-dimensional displacements during 4 subphases of stance (loading response, midstance, terminal stance,  preswing) were computed for each multisegment foot model articulation.
  
  
  RESULTS
  Repeated-measures analyses of variance (ANOVAs) revealed that rearfoot complex dorsiflexion displacement during midstance was greater in the FO than the no-FO condition (F(1,14)  = 5.24, P = .04, partial η(2) = 0.27). Terminal stance repeated-measures ANOVA results revealed insert-by-insert condition interactions for the first metatarsophalangeal joint complex (F(1,14) = 7.87, P = .01, partial η(2) = 0.36). However,  additional follow-up analysis did not reveal differences between the no-FO and FO conditions for the balanced traditional orthosis (F(1,14) = 4.32, P = .08, partial η(2) = 0.38) or full-contact orthosis (F(1,14) = 4.10, P = .08, partial  η(2) = 0.37).
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  Greater rearfoot complex dorsiflexion during midstance associated with FO intervention may represent improved foot kinematics in people with low-mobile foot postures. Furthermore, FO intervention might partially correct dysfunctional  kinematic patterns associated with low-mobile foot postures.
authors.affiliation: Department of Human Movement Sciences, University of Wisconsin-Milwaukee, Milwaukee, WI 53201-0413, USA.
authors.forename: Stephen C
authors.initials: SC
authors.lastname: Cobb
authors.forename: Laurie L
authors.initials: LL
authors.lastname: Tis
authors.forename: Jeffrey T
authors.initials: JT
authors.lastname: Johnson
authors.forename: Yong Tai
authors.initials: YT
authors.lastname: Wang
authors.forename: Mark D
authors.initials: MD
authors.lastname: Geil
mesh_terms: D000328:Adult; D000704:Analysis of Variance; D001696:Biomechanical Phenomena; D018592:Cross-Over Studies; D005260:Female; D005528:Foot / Q000502:physiology*; D061826:Foot Orthoses; D005684:Gait / Q000502:physiology; D006801:Humans; D008297:Male; D016138:Walking / Q000502:physiology*