The Effect of Foot Pronation on Plantar Load Pattern of Healthy Children under Walking Condition

This study aims to explore the effect of the pronated foot on the dynamic plantar load pattern of healthy children. This work can provide valid data for the insole/outsole design of daily-wearing shoes for pronation correction. The Footscan^R plantar pressure system was used to collect the plantar load of 347 typically developing children aged 7-8 during barefoot walking. According to the foot pronation assessment, arch index and BMI, children with obesity or flatfoot were excluded. Finally, 60 children (26 boys and 34 girls) with the pronated foot were identified as the experimental group. Additionally, 60 children whose height and weight matched the experimental group were indentified as the control group. The maximum force, peak pressure, and pressure-time integral of the same gender were conducted the statistical analyses. The results showed that foot pronation had different effects on boys and girls. It aggravated the uneven distribution of plantar load in children. Concerning boys, pronated foot displayed significantly greater maximum forces in the phalangeal and the medial forefoot areas. An upward trend of peak pressure was observed in the medial forefoot and the midfoot areas; the pronated foot displayed significantly greater pressure-time integral in the lateral heel and the first phalanx. Concerning girls, an upward trend of maximum force was observed in the phalanxes and medial forefoot. Pronated foot displayed significantly decreased peak pressure in the phalangeal. It displayed significantly greater pressure-time integral in the forefoot/midfoot.