A Study on the relation between height of medial longitudinal arch and sport injuries in lower limb of professional runners by using Navicular Drop and Arch Index clinical tests

Understanding foot-to-ground contact is not simple due to sophistication of its structure. Plantar pressure measurement devices may be a proper device for determining foot structural situation. The results of the present paper reveal that change in the foot structure, particularly the medial longitudinal arch, may increase probability of injury. Association of pathologic biomechanical changes of foot with an activity such as running that increases the ground reaction force up to 5 times more than the body weight is still among the most important discussed issues. This paper is aimed at studying the effect of longitudinal arch of foot on the sport injuries in professional runners and studying the relation between navicular drop clinical test and plantar pressure measurements (pedobarography). 47 professional runners were selected from Sabzevar City and divided into three groups namely, normal, low arched, and high arched runners by using navicular drop test. Also by using emed-x system, maximum force, peak pressure, and contact area parameters in two static and dynamic postures were measured and recorded. 2x test showed no relation between running injuries and arch height (P=0.58). Correlation between navicular drop clinical test and modified arch index calculated from pedobarography measurements in two static and dynamic postures was between 0.32 and 0.57. Due to multi factorial nature of running injuries, changes in the arch height may not increase risk of injury. Although there was not a very high correlation between navicular drop test and plantar measurements, the obtained correlation is a good correlation since this test is clinical. Despite prior studies differentiate static posture (standing on both feet) from dynamic situation, but it seems that plantar pressure distribution in the static posture of single limb support may have a great similarity with functional situation of walking. [Nahid Divandari, Mahdi Vakili. A Study on the relation between height of medial longitudinal arch and sport injuries in lower limb of professional runners by using Navicular Drop and Arch Index clinical tests. Am Sci 2014;10(3s):50-61]. (ISSN: 1545-1003). http://www.jofamericanscience.org. 7