Research papers

  Research for 25 years has been aimed at elucidating this problem by identifying and evaluating a series of signs and tests. These tests allow the recognition of the abnormal foot as early as possible, when efficient treatment is likely to be most effective. The results indicate that evaluation of the flat foot should be based on a combination of signs, with most emphasis on the result of the great toe extension test. Click here for full PDF

The present study analyzed the impact of the running style and the morphologic and functional characteristics of the foot on the incidence of non-traumatic foot and lower limb disorders in runners. From January 2004 to December 2008, we prospec- tively examined 166 runners, both recreational and competitive, involved in various running specialities, from three athletics clubs in Northern Italy. They were 86 males and 80 females, with a mean age of 31.1 ± 12.2 years. We considered non- traumatic foot and lower limb diseases reported during the follow-up period, which resulted in a minimum sport rest of two weeks. The...

The Harris and Beath footprint is an inexpensive, nonin- vasive method of recording foot/ground pressure patterns to aid clinical diagnosis, decision making, and follow-up. Studies of normal children and skeletally mature individ- uals have identified the wide variations found in normal feet, a knowledge of which is fundamental to the interpre- tation of the footprint in the clinical situation. Click here for full PDF