Relationship Between Foot Posture, Toe Flexor Strength, and Balance in Adolescents

Overview

The foot plays a critical role in movement and postural control, with toe flexor strength linked to gait, performance, and stability. While these relationships are well studied in adults, evidence in adolescents is limited. Pes planovalgus may reduce push-off capacity and weaken postural responses through decreased toe muscle strength. This study aims to examine the relationship between foot posture, toe flexor strength, and balance, focusing on anterior-posterior center of pressure changes in adolescents.

The foot, as the most distal part of the kinetic chain in contact with the ground, plays a key role in body movements and maneuvers. Toe flexor strength has been linked to gait speed, physical performance, and functional ability. Toe orientation and stability influence the center of pressure and surface adaptation, with the hallux being particularly important for postural control during weight shifts. While the relationship between toe strength and postural sway is established in adults, evidence in children and adolescents is limited. Pes planovalgus, characterized by a lowered medial longitudinal arch, can impair push-off mechanics and is associated with weaker toe muscles and poorer postural responses. However, the effect of foot posture and toe strength on anterior-posterior center of pressure changes-a marker of dynamic balance-remains unclear. This study aims to investigate the relationship between foot posture, toe flexor strength, balance, and postural control in adolescents.

Conditions