Normative Data for Foot Posture Index (FPI-6) and Association of Foot Posture with Anthropometric Parameters in School Children from Mangalore: A Cross Sectional Study

The ankle and foot complex play a critical role in maintaining erect posture, as also in adaptation to supporting surfaces, in correcting postural sway in single limb stance, in shock absorption and in transition of ground reaction force (GRF) in order to aid the push off during normal gait [1]. Functional variance and minimal biomechanical alterations in the ankle and foot complex in turn alters the contact with the surface area and the peripheral sensory input in weightbearing posture [2,3]. Changes in neuromuscular strategies alter the ability to maintain a stable and upright posture, and anticipatory postural control is reduced, increasingly predisposing the individual to falls and associated injuries [4]. Structural deviations in the ankle and foot complex predispose the individual to changes in weight bearing, muscle imbalance static as well as dynamic balance in ambulation resulting in compensatory strategies which often predispose the individual to overuse injuries [5-8]. Knowledge of normal foot posture in typically developing children helps to outline rehabilitation strategies most appropriate for the affected children as well as to monitor the progress with intervention [9-11]. Common methods available to measure foot posture in pediatric population are visual assessment, subjective clinical observations, radiographic appraisals, twodimensional video analysis, anthropometric values, ABSTRACT Background: The Foot Posture Index (FPI) is a validated method for quantifying standing foot posture, and is used in a variety of clinical and research settings. However, there have been no retrievable normative data available to date for comparison and reference, for Indian children. Aim: This study aimed at investigating normal foot development and establishing normative FPI-6 reference values of typically developing school children in Mangalore and also at finding the association of foot posture with anthropometric parameters. Methods: 240 children of the group of 6 to 11 years of age were evaluated according to the procedure mentioned in The Foot Posture Index (FPI-6) User Guide and Manual. Results: Prevalence of pronated feet was more common in 6-year old children .Age had a significant effect on all six components of FPI-6 scores for both sexes. A significant association was found between FPI-6 and gender in the age group of 9 years. No correlation was found between anthropometric parameters and foot types in the above-mentioned age groups. Conclusion: The normative data of Foot Posture Index for children from 6-11 years of age was established in the present study. This can also be used to monitor the outcome of the rehabilitation process in foot impairments Normative Data for Foot Posture Index (FPI-6) and Association of Foot Posture with Anthropometric Parameters in School Children from Mangalore: A Cross Sectional Study ORIGINAL ARTICLE www.ijrdh.com ISSN: 2321 1431