• Safety and Health at Work
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• v.12 no.4
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• pp.511-516
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• 2021

Background: Difficulties in walking and balance are risk factors for falling. This study aimed to predict dynamic balance based on demographic information and anthropometric dimensions in construction workers. Methods: This descriptive-analytical study was conducted on 114 construction workers in 2020. First, the construction workers were asked to complete the demographic questionnaire determined in order to be included in the study. Then anthropometric dimensions were measured. The dynamic balance of participants was also assessed using the Y Balance test kit. Dynamic balance prediction was performed based on demographic information and anthropometric dimensions using multiple linear regression with SPSS software version 25. Results: The highest average normalized reach distances of YBT were in the anterior direction and were 92.23 ± 12.43% and 92.28 ± 9.26% for right and left foot, respectively. Both maximal and average normalized composite reach in the YBT in each leg were negatively correlated with leg length and navicular drop and positively correlated with the ratio of sitting height to leg length. In addition, multiple linear regressions showed that age, navicular drop, leg length, and foot surface could predict 23% of the variance in YBT average normalized composite reach of the right leg, and age, navicular drop, and leg length could predict 21% of that in the left leg among construction workers. Conclusion: Approximately one-fifth of the variability in the normalized composite reach of dynamic balance reach among construction workers using method YBT can be predicted by variables age, navicular drop, leg length, and foot surface.

• Physical Therapy Korea
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• v.29 no.3
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• pp.208-214
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• 2022

Background: Pronated foot posture (PFP) contributes to excessive dynamic knee valgus (DKV). Although foot orthoses such as medial arch support (MAS) are widely and easily used in clinical practice and sports, few studies have investigated the effect of MAS on the improvement of DKV during stair descent in individuals with a PFP. Moreover, no studies reported the degree of improvement in DKV according to the severity of PFP when MAS was applied. Objects: This study aimed to examine the immediate effect of MAS on DKV during stair descent and determine the correlation between navicular drop distance and changes in DKV when MAS is applied. Methods: Twenty individuals with a PFP (15 males and five females) participated in this study. The navicular drop test was used to measure PFP severity. The frontal plane projection angle (FPPA) was calculated under two conditions, with and without MAS application, using 2-dimensional video analysis. Results: During stair descent, the FPPA with MAS (173.1° ± 4.7°) was significantly greater than that without MAS (164.8° ± 5.8°) (p < 0.05). There was also a significant correlation between the navicular drop distance and improvement in the FPPA when MAS was applied (r = 0.453, p = 0.045). Conclusion: MAS application can affect the decrease in DKV during stair descent. In addition, MAS application should be considered to improve the knee alignment for individuals with greater navicular drop distance.

• The Journal of the Society of Stroke on Korean Medicine
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• v.14 no.1
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• pp.40-48
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• 2013

■ Objectives This study was designed to investigate the effects of an ankle foot orthosis(AFO) on gait of two hemiparetic stroke patients with foot drop. ■ Methods Gait of two hemiparetic stroke patients were analyzed during walking on the treadmill without or with AFO application. The spatiotemporal and center of pressure(CoP) intersection parameters of gait analysis were measured using a treadmill gait analysis system. ■ Results The AFO had positive effects on hemiparetic gait parameters; increasing cadence, increasing step length, decreasing step time, stride time, and lateral symmetry. ■ Conclusion Hemiparetic gait was improved by ankle foot orthosis.

• Physical Therapy Rehabilitation Science
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• v.11 no.4
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• pp.421-429
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• 2022

Objective: The purpose of this study was to compare and analyze the effects of arch support taping on static balance, static/dynamic foot contact area, and ground reaction force during walking according to the types of elastic tapes with mechanical elasticity differences. Design: Cross-sectional study Methods: Twenty-six participants selected for flexible flat feet through the navicular drop test were randomly assigned to non-taping, Dynamic-taping, and Mechano-taping conditions. Static balance and foot contact area were compared in the standing posture according to arch support taping conditions, and foot contact area and ground reaction force were compared during walking. Results: There was no significant difference in static balance according to the taping condition in the standing position, but the foot contact area in the Mechano-taping condition showed a significant decrease compared to the non-taping condition (p<0.05). The foot contact area during walking significantly decreased in the Dynamic-taping and Mechano-taping conditions (p<0.05), but there was no significant difference between the ground reaction force. Conclusions: Based on the results of this study, it was confirmed that among the types of elastic taping, arch support taping using dynamic taping and Mechano-taping has the effect of supporting the arch with high elastic recovery. Any type of elastic tape can be used for arch alignment in flexible flat foot.

• The Journal of Korean Physical Therapy
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• v.22 no.5
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• pp.57-61
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• 2010

Purpose: The purpose of this study was to identify the effect of active foot arch support on the muscles of lower extremity electromyographic activity during squat exercise in persons with pronated foot. Methods: The study subjects were 16 persons with pronated foot. They have no history of surgery in lower extremity and trunk and limitation of range of motion or pain when performing squat exercise. Each subject was measured the navicular drop (ND) to determine the pronated foot. And then the subjects were asked to perform three repetitions of a $90^{\circ}$ knee flexion squat in both conditions which are 1) preferred squat and 2) squat with active foot arch support. Results: Paired t-test revealed that squat with active foot arch support produced significantly greater EMG activities in abductor hallucis (p=0.00), proneus longus (p=0.03) and gluteus medius (p=0.04) than preferred squat. But the EMG activities of tibialis anterior, vastus medialis oblique and vastus lateralis were not showed significantly different between the both squat conditions. Conclusion: The findings of this study suggest that active foot arch support during squat increase the activities of lower extremity muscles which are the abductor hallucis, proneus longus and gluteus medius. Also, the abductor hallucis which is one of the planter intrinsic muscle and peroneus longus play a role in support of the foot arch and active foot arch support induced the increase of the activity of gluteus medius. Therefore active foot arch support can change the lower extremity biomechanics as well as passive foot support such as foot orthotics and taping.

• Journal of Biomedical Engineering Research
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• v.20 no.2
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• pp.183-190
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• 1999

The purpose of this study was to develop a portable and convenient closed-loop contrel type electrical stimulator for patients with foot drop. This system restores walking movement as well as prevents from atrophy or necrosis of lower limb muscles and increases blood circulation in hemiplegic patients caused by traffic accident, industrial disaster or stoke. This system detects the changes of the ankle joint angle during walking, and then controls the stimulus intensity automatically to maintain the programmed level of the ankle joint angle. Also, this automatic system controls the stimulus intensity which is affected by increased electrode impedance resulting from long time use. The system detects the joint angle by an optical sensor and includes modified PID control which adjusts the stimulus intensity if the joint angle deviates from the preset value. Stimulus parameters are 30~80 volt, 40 Hz, and 0.2 ms. The system was applied to five hemiplegic patients for 42 days. Duration of stimulation was 15 min/day for the first week and then the duration was gradually increased to 30, 60, 90 and 120 min/day. The muscle force was increased up to 29.7%, muscle fatigue was decreased compared with the level before stimulation and the pattern of locomotion was improved. These results suggest that the electrical stimulator with closed-loop control type is more convenient and effective in restoration of locomotion of patients with foot drop than open-loop system.

• Journal of rehabilitation welfare engineering & assistive technology
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• v.8 no.3
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• pp.177-185
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• 2014

In this study, the exoskeleton orthosis for the assistance of dorsiflexion torque in ankle joint to prevent foot-drop was developed. It was consist of three part; 1) the power part using artificial pneumatic actuator, 2) wearing part of ankle and knee joints to fix the orthosis, and 3) control part to detect the gait phase using physiological signal. The dorsiflexion torque was generated by the artificial pneumatic actuator connected with wearing part between ankle and knee joint. The accurate timing to assist dorsiflexion torque is made up of physiological signal in foot sole part that detect the gait phase, that is, stance and swing phase in each foot. We conduct the experiment to investigate the effect of exoskeleton orthosis to the 7 elderly people and 10 healthy people. The result showed that the muscular activities in tibialis anterior muscle were reduced because of the assistance of dorsiflexion torque in ankle joint using the exoskeleton orthosis.

• Physical Therapy Korea
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• v.20 no.4
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• pp.55-64
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• 2013

The first purpose was to identify the plantar pressure distributions (peak pressure, pressure integral time, and contact area) during level walking, and stair ascent and descent in asymptomatic flexible flatfoot (AFF). The second purpose was to investigate whether peak pressure data during level walking could be used to predict peak pressure during stair walking by identifying correlations between the peak pressures of level walking and stair walking. Twenty young adult subjects (8 males and 12 females, age $21.0{\pm}1.7$ years) with AFF were recruited. A distance greater than 10 mm in a navicular drop test was defined as flexible flatfoot. Each subject performed at least 10 steps during level walking, and stair ascent and descent. The plantar pressure distribution was measured in nine foot regions using a pressure measurement system. A two-way repeated analysis of variance was conducted to examine the differences in the three dependent variables with two within-subject factors (activity type and foot region). Linear regression analysis was conducted to predict peak pressure during stair walking using the peak pressure in the metatarsal regions during level walking. Significant interaction effects were observed between activity type and foot region for peak pressure (F=9.508, p<.001), pressure time integral (F=5.912, p=.003), and contact area (F=15.510, p<.001). The regression equations predicting peak pressure during stair walking accounted for variance in the range of 25.7% and 65.8%. The findings indicate that plantar pressures in AFF were influenced by both activity type and foot region. Furthermore the findings suggest that peak pressure data during level walking could be used to predict the peak pressure data during stair walking. These data collected for AFF can be useful for evaluating gait patterns and for predicting pressure data of flexible flatfoot subjects who have difficulty performing activities such as stair walking. Further studies should investigate plantar pressure distribution during various functional activities in symptomatic flexible flatfoot, and consider other predictors for regression analysis.

• Journal of the Korean Society of Physical Medicine
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• v.17 no.2
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• pp.1-10
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• 2022

PURPOSE: This study examined the effects of the low dye taping technique on the static and dynamic balancing ability and navicular bone drop when the low dye taping technique was divided into elastic and non-elastic taping. METHODS: The subjects of the study were 31 volunteers without musculoskeletal disorders. The length (L) and anterior (A), posteromedial, and posterolateral values of the arch in the NO (normal eyes open), NC (normal eyes closed), PO (pillow with eyes open), and PC (pillow with close eyes closed) states were evaluated when barefoot and when Kinesio tape and non-elastic tape were applied. The measurements were analyzed using repeated ANOVA and an independent t-test. Post hoc tests were performed using a Fisher's LSD. RESULTS: A significant difference was found in the arch L and A values using a foot scanner (p < .05). In addition, there was a significant difference in dynamic balance in the three directions (p < .05), and no difference was found in the case of static balance. As a result, non-elastic tape application helps improve the dynamic balance ability and arch of the foot. CONCLUSION: The non-elastic tape technique is helpful for the foot arch function, and there is no difference in the static balance ability between Kinesio tape and non-elastic tape. Nevertheless, non-elastic tape is more helpful for the dynamic balance ability than Kinesio taping.

• Journal of the Korean Society of Physical Medicine
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• v.13 no.2
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• pp.69-74
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• 2018

PURPOSE: Stroke patients may develop an over-pronated foot, resulting in a lower medial longitudinal arch. This can lead to a structural change of the foot due to deformation of the musculoskeletal system. The purpose of this study was to examine the effects of modified low-dye taping on stroke patients with an excessively pronated foot. The effect of the taping on the foot after light daily activity was also examined. METHODS: The subjects consisted of 21 stroke patients with an excessively pronated foot, as measured by the navicular drop test. First, their navicular heights were measured at a relaxed standing position (measure 1) and while standing in the subtalar neutral position (measure 2). Modified low-dye taping was applied to each subject's affected foot and the navicular height was then measured for the standing posture (measure 3). Finally, each subject walked around for 10 minutes and the navicular height was measured again (measure 4). RESULTS: Statistical analyses showed that the navicular height value at the relaxed standing position (measure 1) was significantly lower than for the other 3 measurements. That is, the modified low-dye taping was effective in maintaining a subtalar neutral position, even after a 10-minute walk, for stroke patients with an excessively pronated foot. CONCLUSION: The results suggest that modified low-dye taping applied to stroke patients with an excessively pronated foot could be an effective way to place the subtalar joint in a neutral position, and that its effect can be sustained for light daily activities.