Foot segments mobility and plantar pressure in the normal foot

Background The foot is generally regarded as a flexible structure which can adjust its flexibility in response to variable dynamic conditions in different phases within different motor tasks. In gait, both kinematics and baropodometry have shown to be affected by functional and structural factors [1]. In fact pressure distribution can be seen as the effectiveness of the musculoskeletal system in absorbing the ground reaction forces via the foot and its joints. Excessive foot pressure may develop into calluses, which become sites of peak pressure and pain. The relationship between foot joints mobility and plantar pressure has not been thoroughly investigated. Aim of this study was to combine a multi-segment kinematics model [2] and baropodometric analysis based on anatomical masking [3], to investigate correlations between intersegmental kinematics and regional baropodometric parameters in the normal foot.