New insights into stance phase foot biomechanics using pedobarographic statistical parametric mapping

Introduction There is disagreement in the literature regarding the peak plantar pressure correlates of walking speed. Some studies report generalized increased pressures across the entire plantar surface [1] while others report decreases in lateral forefoot pressures and infer a medial shift in load with increased walking speeds [2]. The purposes of this study were: (a) To use statistical parametric mapping (SPM), a high resolution statistical technique, to clarify the pressure correlates of walking speed and (b) To corroborate SPM results with those of a traditional ten-region subsampling technique.