Title: Comparison of plantar pressure distribution between different heel heights during incline treadmill walking

Authors: Dong Sun; Yaodong Gu; Neng Feng

Addresses: Human Movement Research Center, Faculty of Sports Science, Ningbo University, Zhejiang 315211, China ' Human Movement Research Center, Faculty of Sports Science, Ningbo University, Zhejiang 315211, China ' Rehabilitation Center, Ningbo Ninth Hospital, Zhejiang 315020, China

Abstract: Gait characteristic affected by the foot-ground interface like various gradients, surfaces and different heel heights has been reported. The aim of this study was to examine the effect of changes in heel height and incline slope on plantar pressure distribution of the foot during treadmill walking. Plantar pressure parameters were measured with the PEDAR insole system in 18 undergraduate students at a fixed speed of 3.6 km/h and a gradually varied slope of 0°, 3.5° and 7° with two different shoe conditions: flat-heeled shoes (0.8 cm) and high-heeled shoes (6.6 cm). Compared with the flat-heeled shoes, a higher loading in medial forefoot and a lower loading in medial heel were found in high-heeled shoes in all slope conditions. When the slope increases, the variation amplitude reduces continuously. This, perhaps, causes a sudden reduction in the eversion angle of the foot while walking uphill in high-heeled shoes, and this may increase an individual's risk of lateral ankle sprain.

Keywords: plantar pressure; high-heeled shoes; pressure distribution; heel heights; incline treadmill walking; gait characteristics; health risks; flat-heeled shoes; medial forefoot loading; medial heel loading; eversion angle; uphill walking; lateral ankle sprain.

DOI: 10.1504/IJBET.2014.066235

International Journal of Biomedical Engineering and Technology, 2014 Vol.16 No.4, pp.279 - 292

Received: 09 Aug 2014
Accepted: 15 Sep 2014
Published online: 25 Apr 2015 *

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