THE EFFECTS OF CHANGES IN STEP WIDTH ON PLANTAR FOOT PRESSURE PATTERNS OF YOUNG FEMALE SUBJECTS DURING WALKING

The aim of this study was to investigate the foot plantar pressure distribution and the effect of different step width during walking. Methods: Nineteen female volunteers who aged 18 similar to 30 years old and with no history of lower extremity injury were considered. Subjects walked at a pre-determined set speed with varied step width (5 cm, 10 cm, and 20 cm) for three trials at each step width. This study used an in-sole plantar pressure measurement system to collect the peak pressure, maximum ground reaction force, pressure-time integral, and force-time integral data of eight different foot regions. Results: The data revealed that the peak plantar foot pressure on the medial arch increased with wider step width (p < 0.05). In contrast, maximum ground reaction force, peak plantar pressure, pressure-time integral, and force-time integral on the lateral arch and lateral side of the metatarsals decreased with wider step width (p < 0.05). Conclusion: The results of this study revealed that smaller step width during walking result in decreasing the pressure on the medial arch of the foot. It may have the relieving effect for clients with pes planus and it can be a reference for rehabilitation clinicians while treating the above-mentioned subjects.