title: Plantar loading during jumping while wearing a rigid carbon graphite footplate.
abstract: Fifth metatarsal stress fractures are common in sports and often result in delayed and non-union. The purpose of this study was to examine the effect of a rigid carbon graphite footplate (CGF) on plantar loading during take-off and landing from a jump. Nineteen recreational male athletes with no history of lower extremity injury in the past 6 months and no foot or ankle surgery in the past 3 years participated in this study. Subjects completed 7 jumping tasks while wearing a standard running shoe and then the shoe plus the CGF while plantar loading data was recorded. A series of paired t-tests were used to examine differences between the two footwear conditions independently for both takeoff and landing (a = 0.05). The contact area in the medial midfoot (p < .001) and forefoot (p = .010) statistically decreased when wearing the CGFP. The force–time integral was significantly greater when wearing the CGFP in the middle (p < .001) and lateral forefoot (p = .019). Maximum force was significantly greater beneath the middle (p < .001) and lateral forefoot (p < .001) when wearing the CGFP, while it was decreased beneath the medial midfoot (p < .001). During landing, the contact area beneath the medial (p = .017) and lateral midfoot (p = .004) were significantly decreased when wearing the CGFP. The force– time integral was significantly decrease beneath the medial midfoot (p < .001) when wearing the CGFP. The maximum force was significantly greater beneath the medial (p = .047) and middle forefoot (p = .001) when the subject was wearing the CGFP. The maximum force beneath the medial midfoot (p < .001) was significantly reduced when wearing the carbon graphite footplate. The results of the study indicate that the CGF is ineffective at reducing plantar loading during jumping and landing.
authors.forename: Robin M
authors.initials: RM
authors.lastname: Queen
authors.forename: Ravi
authors.initials: R
authors.lastname: Verma
authors.forename: Alicia N
authors.initials: AN
authors.lastname: Abbey
authors.forename: James A
authors.initials: JA
authors.lastname: Nunley
authors.forename: Robert J
authors.initials: RJ
authors.lastname: Butler
mesh_terms: D000328:Adult; D001265:Athletic Injuries / Q000503:physiopathology / Q000534:rehabilitation; D001490:Basketball / Q000502:physiology*; D002244:Carbon; D005545:Forefoot, Human / Q000293:injuries / Q000502:physiology*; D017102:Fracture Healing / Q000502:physiology; D015775:Fractures, Stress / Q000503:physiopathology / Q000534:rehabilitation; D006108:Graphite; D006801:Humans; D008297:Male; D008682:Metatarsal Bones / Q000293:injuries / Q000502:physiology*; D009043:Motor Activity / Q000502:physiology*; D012420:Running / Q000502:physiology; D012775:Shoes; D016474:Weight-Bearing / Q000502:physiology*; D055815:Young Adult
chemical_list: D002244:Carbon; D006108:Graphite