title: Changes in ankle range of motion and muscle strength in habitual wearers of high-heeled shoes.
abstract: BACKGROUND
  Although cross-sectional biomechanical studies have reported that wearing high-heeled shoes can change the musculoskeletal system of the lower extremities, the long-term effects of wearing such shoes on the ankle remain unknown. The aim of this study was to reveal changes in ankle range of motion and muscle strength in habitual wearers of high-heeled shoes and to provide information for clinicians undertaking functional evaluations of the ankles of such patients.
  
  
  METHODS
  Habitual wearers of high-heeled shoes (n = 10; age, 23.9 ± 2.7 years) and wearers of flat shoes (n = 10; age, 23.8 ± 2.1 years) were selectively recruited, and the range of motion, maximal voluntary isometric force, and concentric contraction power of their ankles were measured.
  
  
  RESULTS
  Wearers of high-heeled shoes showed increased ankle range of motion on plantarflexion at 25 degrees and inversion at 10 degrees compared to flat shoe wearers (P < .05) but decreased dorsiflexion (about 17 degrees) and eversion (13 degrees; P < .05). Concentric contraction power in ankle eversion was also 2 times higher in wearers of high-heeled shoes (P < .05).
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  These subjects had functional deformity of the ankle in a supinated direction and increased eversion power.
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  We cautiously recommend that habitual wearers of high-heeled shoes (those who walk in such shoes for more than 5 hours more than 6 times a week) undertake intensive ankle stretching exercises in the direction of dorsiflexion as well as eversion.
authors.affiliation: Korea University, Seoul, Republic of Korea.
authors.forename: Yushin
authors.initials: Y
authors.lastname: Kim
authors.forename: Jong-Min
authors.initials: JM
authors.lastname: Lim
authors.forename: Bumchul
authors.initials: B
authors.lastname: Yoon
mesh_terms: D000328:Adult; D000704:Analysis of Variance; D000843:Ankle Joint / Q000503:physiopathology*; D001696:Biomechanical Phenomena; D005260:Female; D006801:Humans; D053580:Muscle Strength / Q000502:physiology*; D016059:Range of Motion, Articular / Q000502:physiology*; D015203:Reproducibility of Results; D012775:Shoes