A Cross Sectional Analysis of Arch Height and Pressure Distribution in a Normalized Population of More than 1000 Subjects

• Published in: Foot & Ankle Orthopaedics
• Main Authors: Nathan Patrick Delahunty BA, J. Benjamin Jackson MD, MBA, Tyler Gonzalez MD, MBA, Travis Dias BS
• Format: Article
• Language: English
• Published: SAGE Publishing 2023-12-01
• Online Access: https://doi.org/10.1177/2473011423S00117

Category: Midfoot/Forefoot; Basic Sciences/Biologics Introduction/Purpose: There are normal variations in the shape of an individual’s foot. However, recent investigations involving large, heterogenous populations are scarce, complicating attempts to create a uniform definition of clinical foot arch height. The purpose of this study was to determine the distribution of plantar foot pressures from the general population. Methods: 1015 randomly sampled individuals (2030 feet) had a bipedal standing profile obtained utilizing a high sensitivity pressure mat. Data collected included: total foot length (cm), peak pressure (kPa), peak contact pressure (kPa), and total contact area (cm 2 ). Demographic information and data regarding individual comorbidities previously to be linked to pathologic arch height conditions were collected. A flatfoot was defined as Midfoot total area>Mean+1SD while a high arch was defined as Midfoot total area< Mean-1SD. Results: Our logarithmic transformation the data was representative of a normally distributed dataset and our demographic data closely reflective of the demographics United States population. Data for the right foot vs left foot were: 8.18% and 6.50% of participants had a flatfoot, 78.82% and 79.51% had normal arches, and 13.00% and 13.99% had high arches, respectively. The prevalence of normal bilateral arches was 70.54%, bilateral flat feet was 3.55%, and bilateral high-arched feet was 8.67%. Conclusion: Our data demonstrate a normalized distribution of plantar pressures and arch heights that were sampled from a population larger and more representative of the general populous than previously described. Given that our data may more accurately reflect the spectrum of normal adult foot. With these baseline characteristics defined, future research into arch height associated pathologies may proceed with a more standardized assessment when defining study populations.