ORIGINAL RESEARCH
Plantar pressure distribution features in athletes with plantar fasciitis
1 Federal Research and Clinical Center for Sports Medicine and Rehabilitation of the Federal Medical Biological Agency, Moscow, Russia
2 Pirogov Russian National Research Medical University, Moscow, Russia
Correspondence should be addressed: Anton V. Slivin
B. Dorogomilovskaya, 5, Moscow, 121059, Russia; ur.liam@nivils-notna
Author contribution: Karmazin VV — study concept and planning, research data acquisition and analysis, manuscript editing; Slivin AV — research data acquisition and analysis, statistical data processing, manuscript writing, formatting; Parastaev SA — editing, approval of the final version of the article.
Compliance with the ethical standards: the study was approved by the Ethics Committee of the Pirogov Russian National Research Medical University (protocol No. 225 dated 23 January 2023). All athletes submitted the consent to study participation.
Plantar fasciitis (PF) is one of the leading causes of heel pain in athletes. Since the disease etiology and pathogenesis are poorly understood, determination of impaired biomechanical patterns will make it possible to develop effective and safe therapeutic strategies. The study was aimed to reveal biomechanical changes typical for athletes with PF. Analysis of the results of baropodometric examination of 60 athletes, who were assessed and treated at the Federal Research and Clinical Center of Sports Medicine and Rehabilitation of FMBA of Russia due to foot disorders (1–2 degree combined platypodia and PF), was conducted. Athletes were divided into two groups based on the fact of having/not having a verified diagnosis of PF. The study involved 24 males (40%) and 36 females (60%), the athletes’ median age was 24 (19; 28) years. During the study we noted a trend towards higher incidence of PF in female athletes (р = 0.066). Hammertoe deformity was often found in athletes with PF (р < 0.05). Athletes with combined platypodia and PF showed overload or insufficient load in the posterior part of the affected foot, depending on pain severity, in static tests (r = 0.592, р = 0.001). The dynamic tests revealed deformation of the general pressure vector and changes in the general center of pressure velocity (р < 0.01). Baropodometric examination showed that athletes with PF had deficit or excess increase of plantar pressure in the heel of the affected foot, along with deformation of the general pressure vector.
Keywords: biomechanics, plantar fasciitis, sport, baropodometry, heel pain