Effect of dynamic guidance-tubing short foot gait exercise on muscle activity and navicular movement in people with flexible flatfeet

2020 ◽  
Vol 47 (2) ◽  
pp. 217-226
Author(s):  
Dohee Jung ◽  
Chunghwi Yi ◽  
Woochol Joseph Choi ◽  
Joshua Sung H. You
Keyword(s):  
Pressure Distribution ◽  
Muscle Activity ◽  
Activity Ratio ◽  
Weight Bearing ◽  
Tibialis Posterior ◽  
Abductor Hallucis ◽  
Foot Pressure ◽  
Flat Feet ◽  
Flexor Digitorum Brevis ◽  
Flexor Digitorum

BACKGROUND: Navicular drop is a common plantar deformity which makes the plantar medial longitudinal arch (MLA) collapse and leads to other deformities in lower extremities. Active structures are from intrinsic and extrinsic foot muscle activities such as abductor hallucis (AbdH), tibialis anterior (TA), tibialis posterior, flexor hallucis brevis, flexor digitorum brevis during dynamic situations. As AbdH plays a role as a dynamic elevator of MLA, the importance of AbdH has been emphasized and the proper recruitment of both intrinsic and extrinsic muscle is crucial for stabilization of MLA during dynamic weight bearing condition. Because the short foot (SF) exercise is difficult to perform and tends to activate the intrinsic muscles concentrically rather than a natural coordination of concentric-isometric-eccentric activation, we have developed the guidance-tubing SF gait (GFG) exercise. OBJECTIVE: We investigated the effect of GFG exercise on muscle activity, AbdH:TA activity ratio, MLA angle, and foot pressure distribution during walking compared to SF gait (SFG) exercise. METHODS: Thirty-two subjects with flexible flat feet were divided into two groups and performed SFG exercise with (GFG) and without guidance-tubing (SFG) for seven serial days. RESULTS: AbdH muscle activity significantly increased from foot flat to heel rise in the GFG group (p = 0.006). The AbdH:TA activity ratio significantly increased in both the SFG (p = 0.015) group and GFG group (p = 0.006). MLA angles significantly decreased in both the SFG group (p = 0.001) and GFG group (p = 0.000), and the decrement was significantly higher in the GFG group (p = 0.001). The foot pressure distribution did not show any statistically significant change. CONCLUSIONS: The result of this study provides a clinical implication for training MLA supporter muscles in individuals with flat feet. The overactive muscle must be inhibited first, then facilitation and strengthening are followed respectively.

scholarly journals Congenital Unilateral Hypertrophy of the Plantar Musculature with Multiple Toe Deformities: A Case Report and Literature Review

2020 ◽  
Vol 2020 ◽  
pp. 1-7
Author(s):  
Matthias Holzbauer ◽  
Stefan Rick ◽  
Marco Götze ◽  
Sébastien Hagmann
Keyword(s):  
Rare Case ◽  
Muscle Hypertrophy ◽  
Rare Condition ◽  
Abductor Hallucis ◽  
Claw Toe ◽  
Flexor Digitorum Brevis ◽  
Abductor Digiti Minimi ◽  
Fifth Toe ◽  
Flexor Digitorum ◽  
Toe Deformity

Congenital unilateral hypertrophy of the plantar musculature is a rare condition, and to our knowledge, reports of only 14 cases have been previously published. As only one describes a concomitant orthopedic toe deformity, we report our case of abductor hallucis, flexor digitorum brevis, and abductor digiti minimi muscle hypertrophy in combination with hallux valgus and claw toe deformity as well as a laterally abducted fifth toe. Thus, this report presents the rare case of congenital hypertrophy of the plantar musculature associated with complex toe deformities. Moreover, the present article contains a detailed description of our surgical technique as well as a review of the current literature.

Electromyographic Studies of the Human Foot: Experimental Approaches to Hominid Evolution

Foot & Ankle ◽  
1983 ◽  
Vol 3 (6) ◽  
pp. 391-407 ◽  
Author(s):  
Lori A. Reeser ◽  
Randall L. Susman ◽  
Jack T. Stern
Keyword(s):  
Hominid Evolution ◽  
Abductor Hallucis ◽  
Early Hominid ◽  
Human Foot ◽  
Flexor Digitorum Brevis ◽  
Experimental Approaches ◽  
Arch Support ◽  
Flexor Digitorum ◽  
Hominid Fossils ◽  
Electromyographic Investigation

Theories about the functions of the foot muscles have centered on their role in arch support. Previous anatomical and electromyographic studies (reviewed herein) have demonstrated that the arches are normally maintained by bones and ligaments. This study reports an electromyographic investigation of five foot muscles (flexor digito-rum longus, flexor digitorum brevis, flexor accessorius, abductor hallucis, and abductor digiti quinti) conducted on four humans. The three toe flexors act together to resist extension of the toes during the stance phase of locomotion. Despite the large flexor accessorius in humans, neither this muscle nor the flexor digitorum brevis are preferentially recruited over the flexor digitorum lon-gus for any normal posture or locomotion. The abductors affect the mediolateral distribution of pressure by positioning the forefoot. We suggest that the foot muscles play an important role in positioning of the forces on the foot in both posture and locomotion. Future electromyographic experiments on human and ape foot muscles in conjunction with detailed studies of early hominid fossils promise to elucidate the pathways of human locomotor evolution.

scholarly journals Stepping onto the unknown: reflexes of the foot and ankle while stepping with perturbed perceptions of terrain

2021 ◽  
Vol 18 (176) ◽  
pp. 20210061
Author(s):  
R. C. Riddick ◽  
D. J. Farris ◽  
A. G. Cresswell ◽  
A. D. Kuo ◽  
L. A. Kelly
Keyword(s):  
Short Latency ◽  
The Body ◽  
Reflex Response ◽  
Abductor Hallucis ◽  
Muscle Dynamics ◽  
Contact Kinematics ◽  
Ankle Muscle ◽  
Level Information ◽  
Flexor Digitorum Brevis ◽  
Flexor Digitorum

Unanticipated variations in terrain can destabilize the body. The foot is the primary interface with the ground and we know that cutaneous reflexes provide important sensory feedback. However, little is known about the contribution of stretch reflexes from the muscles within the foot to upright stability. We used intramuscular electromyography measurements of the foot muscles flexor digitorum brevis (FDB) and abductor hallucis (AH) to show for the first time how their short-latency stretch reflex response (SLR) may play an important role in responding to stepping perturbations. The SLR of FDB and AH was highest for downwards steps and lowest for upwards steps, with the response amplitude for level and compliant steps in between. When the type of terrain was unknown or unexpected to the participant, the SLR of AH and the ankle muscle soleus tended to decrease. We found significant relationships between the contact kinematics and forces of the leg and the SLR, but a person's expectation still had significant effects even after accounting for these relationships. Motor control models of short-latency body stabilization should not only include local muscle dynamics, but also predictions of terrain based on higher level information such as from vision or memory.

scholarly journals A Comparison of Foot Strengthening versus Minimal Footwear Use on Intrinsic Muscle Size and Strength

2018 ◽  
Vol 3 (3) ◽  
pp. 2473011418S0040
Author(s):  
Sarah Ridge ◽  
Dustin Bruening ◽  
Kevin Jurgensmeier ◽  
Mark Olsen ◽  
David Griffin ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
Repeated Measures ◽  
Plantar Fasciitis ◽  
Muscle Size ◽  
Tibialis Posterior ◽  
Control Group ◽  
Abductor Hallucis ◽  
Cross Sectional ◽  
Linear Probe ◽  
Flexor Digitorum ◽  
Intrinsic Muscles

Category: Other Introduction/Purpose: The intrinsic muscles of the arch have been classified as the core of the foot. Intrinsic foot muscles (IFM) work as local stabilizers and extrinsic foot muscles (EFM) work as global movers to help control the pronation of the foot. These muscles prevent excessive strain of the MLA. Previous research has shown that strengthening IFM may reduce pain and improve function in people with plantar fasciitis. Additionally, habitual use of minimal shoes that lack support of the arch require greater demand on the intrinsic muscles. The purpose of this study was to determine the effectiveness of two different strengthening interventions on IFM and EFM size and strength. Methods: 57 healthy runners (avg 15-30 mpw) were randomly assigned to a foot strengthening (FS, n=19), a minimal shoe walking (MSW, n=19), or a control group (C, n=19). Baseline cross-sectional areas of abductor hallucis, quadratus plantae, flexor digitorum brevis, and flexor digitorum longus, and thickness of the flexor hallucis brevis, tibialis posterior, and tibialis anterior were obtained with ultrasound using a 10 MHz linear probe. Doming, great toe flexion and lateral toes flexion strength were also measured using a custom-built dynamometer. The FS group then underwent an 8 wk foot and ankle strengthening program. The MSW group progressively walked in minimal footwear from 2,500-7,000 over the course of 8 wks. All groups, including C, maintained normal running mileage in conventional footwear throughout the 8 wks. Size and strength measures were then repeated. A repeated measures ANCOVA with a post-hoc test was used to determine differences in size and strength between groups. Results: All muscles measured in the FS and MSW groups increased significantly in size from weeks 0-8. There were no changes in muscle size in the C group. The FS group experienced significantly greater size changes for the flexor hallucis brevis than the MSW group. All other changes in muscle size were not significant between the FS and MSW groups. The FS and MSW groups showed significant increases in strength in all 3 tests from week 0-8. Strength of the control group did not change at any time. The increases in strength in the FS and MSW groups were not significantly different than each other. Conclusion: Exercises that target the intrinsic and extrinsic foot muscles are effective in increased strength and size of the muscles. However, similar increases in strength and size can be obtained by progressive walking in minimal footwear. Combining both these approaches may have an even greater effect. Stronger feet may offer greater protection against overuse injuries such as plantar fasciitis.

Intrinsic Foot Muscle Morphology in Active Runners With and Without a History of Exercise-Related Lower Leg Pain

2020 ◽  
Vol 25 (2) ◽  
pp. 62-67
Author(s):  
Aliza K. Nedimyer ◽  
Brian G. Pietrosimone ◽  
Brittney A. Luc-Harkey ◽  
Erik A. Wikstrom
Keyword(s):  
Visual Information ◽  
Morphological Characteristics ◽  
Lower Leg ◽  
Leg Pain ◽  
Abductor Hallucis ◽  
Flexor Digitorum Brevis ◽  
History Of ◽  
Lower Leg Pain ◽  
Flexor Digitorum ◽  
Intrinsic Muscles

Our objective was to quantify the functional and morphological characteristics of the plantar intrinsic muscles in those with and without a history of exercise-related lower leg pain (ERLLP). Thirty-two active runners—24 with a history of ERLLP—volunteered. Strength of the flexor hallucis brevis and flexor digitorum brevis, postural control, and navicular drop were recorded. Morphology of the abductor hallucis, flexor digitorum brevis, and flexor hallucis brevis muscles were captured using ultrasonography. Those with ERLLP had smaller flexor hallucis brevis morphology measures (p ≤ .015) and a greater reliance on visual information while balancing (p = .05). ERLLP appears to alter intrinsic muscle function and morphology.

A comparison of selective muscle activity in the abductor hallucis between flat feet and normal feet during single mini-squat exercise

2020 ◽  
pp. 1-6
Author(s):  
Jun-Seok Kim ◽  
Dong-Chul Moon
Keyword(s):  
Muscle Activity ◽  
Emg Activity ◽  
Abductor Hallucis ◽  
Flat Foot ◽  
Functional Movement ◽  
Gender Comparison ◽  
Normal Individuals ◽  
Flat Feet ◽  
Strengthening Exercises ◽  
The Stability

BACKGROUND: The abductor hallucis (AbH) is a key muscle in the stability of the foot by supporting the medial longitudinal arch (MLA). Individuals with flat foot show a flattening of the MLA with a decreased selective AbH activity relative to the other foot extrinsic muscles during functional movement. OBJECTIVE: To examine the selective muscle activity of the abductor hallucis (AbH) during single-leg mini-squat (SMS) in subjects with flat foot and normal individuals. METHODS: Twenty-four healthy adults (13 men and 11 women) with flat or normal feet participated in this study. All subjects performed single minisquat (SMS), and data were collected using sEMG from the AbH, TA, and GCM during SMS. RESULTS: An inter-gender comparison of the EMG data revealed no difference. The EMG activity of the AbH in individuals with flat foot was significantly lower than that of individuals with normal feet. Moreover, the AbH/TA ratio in subjects with flat foot, , was significantly lower than that in subjects with normal feet. CONCLUSION: In a clinical setting, clinicians should focus on strengthening exercises of the AbH muscle due to reduced activation of the AbH muscle in individuals with flat foot. The selective muscle activity of the AbH muscle during SMS should be emphasized.

scholarly journals The foot is more than a spring: human foot muscles perform work to adapt to the energetic requirements of locomotion

2019 ◽  
Vol 16 (150) ◽  
pp. 20180680 ◽  
Author(s):  
Ryan Riddick ◽  
Dominic J. Farris ◽  
Luke A. Kelly
Keyword(s):  
Net Energy ◽  
Centre Of Mass ◽  
Abductor Hallucis ◽  
Human Foot ◽  
Plantar Muscle ◽  
Elastic Mechanism ◽  
Intrinsic Foot Muscles ◽  
Flexor Digitorum Brevis ◽  
Energy Sink ◽  
Flexor Digitorum

The foot has been considered both as an elastic mechanism that increases the efficiency of locomotion by recycling energy, as well as an energy sink that helps stabilize movement by dissipating energy through contact with the ground. We measured the activity of two intrinsic foot muscles, flexor digitorum brevis (FDB) and abductor hallucis (AH), as well as the mechanical work performed by the foot as a whole and at a modelled plantar muscle–tendon unit (MTU) to test whether these passive mechanics are actively controlled during stepping. We found that the underlying passive visco-elasticity of the foot is modulated by the muscles of the foot, facilitating both dissipation and generation of energy depending on the mechanical requirements at the centre of mass (COM). Compared to level ground stepping, the foot dissipated and generated an additional –0.2 J kg −1 and 0.10 J kg −1 (both p < 0.001) when stepping down and up a 26 cm step respectively, corresponding to 21% and 10% of the additional net work performed by the leg on the COM. Of this compensation at the foot, the plantar MTU performed 30% and 89% of the work for step-downs and step-ups, respectively. This work occurred early in stance and late in stance for stepping down respectively, when the activation levels of FDB and AH were increased between 69 and 410% compared to level steps (all p < 0.001). These findings suggest that the energetic function of the foot is actively modulated by the intrinsic foot muscles and may play a significant role in movements requiring large changes in net energy such as stepping on stairs or inclines, accelerating, decelerating and jumping.

scholarly journals Effects of Artificial Texture Insoles and Foot Arches on Improving Arch Collapse in Flat Feet

Sensors ◽  
2020 ◽  
Vol 20 (13) ◽  
pp. 3667 ◽  
Author(s):  
Yao-Te Wang ◽  
Jong-Chen Chen ◽  
Ying-Sheng Lin
Keyword(s):  
Pressure Distribution ◽  
Vital Role ◽  
Foot Pressure ◽  
Flat Foot ◽  
Pressure Sensing ◽  
Plantar Pressure Distribution ◽  
Flat Feet ◽  
Reaction Forces ◽  
Arch Index ◽  
The Impact

The arches of the foot play a vital role in cushioning the impact and pressure generated from ground reaction forces due to body weight. Owing to a lack of normal human arch structure, people diagnosed as having flat feet often have discomfort in the soles of their feet. The results may not only cause inappropriate foot pressure distribution on the sole but also further cause foot injuries. This study heavily relies on a homemade foot pressure sensing device equipped with textured insoles of different heights and artificial arches. This was to explore the extent to which the pressure distribution of the foot in people with flat feet could be improved. A further comparison was made of the effects of using the textured insoles with different heights on two different groups of people diagnosed with flat and normal feet respectively. Sixty-five undergraduate and postgraduate volunteers were invited to receive the ink footprint test for measuring their degrees of arch index. Nine of these 65 had 2 flat feet, 3 had a left flat foot, 5 had a right flat foot, and 48 had 2 normal feet. To ensure the same number of subjects in both the control and the experimental groups, 9 of the 48 subjects who had normal feet were randomly selected. In total, 26 subjects (Male: 25, Female: 1; Age: 22 ± 1 years; height: 173.6 ± 2.5 cm; body mass: 68.3 ± 5.4 kg; BMI: 22.6 ± 1.2) were invited to participate in this foot pressure sensing insoles study. The experimental results showed that the use of textured insoles designed with different heights could not effectively improve the plantar pressure distribution and body stability in subjects with flat feet. Conversely, the use of an artificial arch effectively improved the excessive peak in pressure and poor body stability, and alleviated the problem of plantar collapse for patients with flat feet, especially in the inner part of their hallux and forefoot.

scholarly journals Perceptibility of Large and Sequential Changes in Somatosensory Information during Leaning Forward and Backward When Standing

2003 ◽  
Vol 96 (2) ◽  
pp. 549-577 ◽  
Author(s):  
Hitoshi Asai ◽  
Katsuo Fujiwara
Keyword(s):  
Individual Differences ◽  
Muscle Activity ◽  
Tibialis Anterior ◽  
Rectus Femoris ◽  
Cooling Condition ◽  
Maximum Pressure ◽  
Abductor Hallucis ◽  
Foot Pressure ◽  
Somatosensory Information ◽  
Pressure Sensation

11 healthy young men served as subjects in two experiments on perceptibility of (1) large changes in foot pressure and muscle activity induced by body leaning and (2) sequential changes in pressure at the first toe and the head of the first metatarsalis when leaning forward. The effects of reduced sensitivity on that perceptibility were also studied by repeating the experiments while cooling localized plantar areas of the sole (the head of the first metatarsalis, the first toe, and the heel). Under the normal (noncooled) condition, all subjects accurately perceived maximum pressure at the head of the first metatarsalis, but most subjects misperceived the second large increase in pressure at the first toe and in muscle activity as the first large increase. Under the cooling condition, localized cooling did not affect the perceptibility of maximum pressure at the head of the first metatarsalis or the activity in the tibialis anterior, but the perceptibility of pressure at the first toe and activity of the abductor hallucis were reduced. There were individual differences in perceptibility of activity of the rectus femoris when the heel was cooled. Perceptibility of sequential changes in the pressure was affected differently by the localized cooling of each region. Given these findings, we discussed the role and interrelatedness of pressure sensation in perceiving large and sequential changes in somatosensory information while standing and leaning forward and backward.

scholarly journals Quantitative Ultrasound Imaging Pixel Analysis of the Intrinsic Plantar Muscle Tissue between Hemiparesis and Contralateral Feet in Post-Stroke Patients

2018 ◽  
Vol 15 (11) ◽  
pp. 2519 ◽  
Author(s):  
Cesar Calvo-Lobo ◽  
Ana Useros-Olmo ◽  
Jaime Almazán-Polo ◽  
Miriam Martín-Sevilla ◽  
Carlos Romero-Morales ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
Ultrasound Imaging ◽  
Muscle Tissue ◽  
Quantitative Ultrasound ◽  
Total Sample ◽  
Abductor Hallucis ◽  
Cross Sectional ◽  
Significant Difference ◽  
Flexor Digitorum Brevis ◽  
Flexor Digitorum ◽  
Potential Biomarkers

Quantitative ultrasound imaging of the muscle tissue may be applied in the neurology field, due to B-mode grayscale pixels values could be used as potential biomarkers for disease progression and intervention effects in poststroke patients. Thus, the study aim was to compare and analyze the ultrasound imaging B-mode pixels differences between the intrinsic plantar muscles cross-sectional area (CSA) in hemiparetic and contralateral feet from poststroke patients by means of the Image J software. A case-control design and a convenience sampling method were used in order to recruit 22 feet from 11 poststroke patients. This total sample was divided into 11 hemiparetic feet and 11 contralateral feet. The Image J software was used in order to evaluate the interface distance, CSA as well as measure the pixels mean, standard deviation (SD) and count from all offline images in the flexor digitorum brevis, abductor hallucis (AbH), and flexor hallucis brevis muscles. Statistically significant differences (p = 0.003) were only shown for the pixels count in the AbH muscle. The rest of outcome measurements did not show any statistically significant difference (p > 0.05). Therefore, B-mode ultrasound imaging Image J software differences for the pixels count reduction were shown in the AbH muscle between hemiparetic and contralateral feet from poststroke patients. Further studies are necessary in order to apply our findings as potential biomarkers during the stroke disease course.

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