The Relationship between Foot Arch Structure and March Fractures - Comparative study between 15(30feet) normal person and the 15(30feet) patients with march fracture -

행군골절 발생과 발아치 구조의 연관성에 대한 연구보고

The fact that, under similar training activities performed in the same environment, march fractures develop in only a certain percentage of the trainees indicates that intrinsic factors are affecting the prevalence of these fractures. Among these intrinsic factors, the relation between foot arch type and the occurance of march fractures was investigated in this study. From 1997 to 1998, at one infantry medical company of infantry corps in Korea, 15 march fracture patients were detected among infantry soldiers. Quantitative measures of the foot arch (longitudinal) structure of 15(30feet) march fracture patients were established and compared with those of 15(30feet) normal person. The results were as follows. 1. From the lateral X-ray film, three parameters (i.e. calcaneal angle, forefoot angle, height to length ratio)were defined to describe the structure of the longitudinal arch of the foot. 2. The mean value of the calcaneal angle of march fracture group and normal control group showed 16.4 degree, 20.5 degree respectively. The difference between two groups was statistically significant (P>0.006), but those of forefoot angle and height to length ratio were not. 3. In the calcaneal angle twenty-six feet(87%) of march fracture group were lower than 17 degrees but twenty-five feet(83%) of normal control group were more than 17 degrees. That is, march fracture were more prevalent in feet with low calcaneal angle. 4. In the low arch foot, the orthotic device might relieve the energy load carried by the foot, thus reducing the incidence of march fractures, and should be analyzed in further study.