Assessment of Developing Feet Aged From 9 to 72 Months Using Harris Mat Footprint

Lee, Chyung Ki; Han, Soo Jeong

Abstract

OBJECTIVE
Purposes of this study were to measure the optional five kinds of parameters in children's footprint, to seek what parameters are significant to follow the change of the children's feet and to get the values of normal ranges in children aging from 9 to 72 months. METHOD: Subjects were 286 children (572 feet) having no neurologic or musculoskeletal problems. They were divided into seven groups according to age. Five optional parameters of footprint are medial arch angle, lateral concave ratio, angle between transverse axis and long axis, fifth metatarsal angle, and angle between long axis and fifth metatarsal line.
RESULTS
1) Medial arch angles were significantly increased from 10.03o (group I) to 41.23o (group VII). 2) Lateral concave ratios were significantly increased from 31.75% (group I) to 61.48% (group VII). 3) Angles between long and transverse axes were not significantly different. 4) Fifth metatarsal angles were significantly increased from 83.00o (group I) to 91.04o (group VII). 5) Angles between long axis and fifth metatarsal line were not significantly changed.
CONCLUSION
These results suggest that three components-the medial arch, the transverse axis and the fifth metatarsal line-were considered to be available parameters to follow the development of feet. And it is also proposed that our values of their normal range will be helpful to detect abnormalities of children's developing feet.