title: Associations of Region-Specific Foot Pain and Foot Biomechanics: The Framingham Foot Study.
abstract: BACKGROUND
  Specific regions of the foot are responsible for the gait tasks of weight acceptance, single-limb support, and forward propulsion. With region foot pain, gait abnormalities may arise and affect the plantar pressure and force pattern utilized. Therefore, this study's purpose was to evaluate plantar pressure and force pattern differences between adults with and without region-specific foot pain.
  
  
  METHODS
  Plantar pressure and force data were collected on Framingham Foot Study members while walking barefoot at a self-selected pace. Foot pain was evaluated by self-report and grouped by foot region (toe, forefoot, midfoot, or rearfoot) or regions (two or three or more regions) of pain. Unadjusted and adjusted linear regression with generalized estimating equations was used to determine associations between feet with and without foot pain.
  
  
  RESULTS
  Individuals with distal foot (forefoot or toes) pain had similar maximum vertical forces under the pain region, while those with proximal foot (rearfoot or midfoot) pain had different maximum vertical forces compared to those without regional foot pain (referent). During walking, there were significant differences in plantar loading and propulsion ranging from 2% to 4% between those with and without regional foot pain. Significant differences in normalized maximum vertical force and plantar pressure ranged from 5.3% to 12.4% and 3.4% to 24.1%, respectively, between those with and without regional foot pain.
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  Associations of regional foot pain with plantar pressure and force were different by regions of pain. Region-specific foot pain was not uniformly associated with an increase or decrease in loading and pressure patterns regions of pain.
authors.affiliation: Institute for Allied Health Research, Glasgow Caledonian University, UK. jody.riskowski@gcu.ac.uk.
authors.forename: Jody L
authors.initials: JL
authors.lastname: Riskowski
authors.affiliation: Department of Mechanical Engineering, University of Massachusetts at Amherst.
authors.forename: Thomas J
authors.initials: TJ
authors.lastname: Hagedorn
authors.forename: Alyssa B
authors.initials: AB
authors.lastname: Dufour
authors.forename: Marian T
authors.initials: MT
authors.lastname: Hannan
mesh_terms: D000368:Aged; D001696:Biomechanical Phenomena / Q000502:physiology*; D005260:Female; D005534:Foot Diseases / Q000503:physiopathology*; D006801:Humans; D008297:Male; D008875:Middle Aged; D010146:Pain / Q000503:physiopathology*; D010147:Pain Measurement; D011312:Pressure; D016474:Weight-Bearing / Q000502:physiology
keywords: Arch pain; Gait analysis; Idiopathic pain; Older adults; Plantar heel pain