Intrinsic foot muscles have the capacity to change ankle moment during gait

Abstract

【Objective】The purpose of this study was to examine whether the intrinsic foot muscles have the capacity to change ankle moment during gait. 【Methods】Eleven healthy male subjects participated in this study. The change in ankle moment during stance phase that results from the reinforcement of the intrinsic foot muscles stimulated by electrical stimulation was analyzed. 【Result】Following the electrical stimulation of the intrinsic foot muscles duringstance phase, the maximum internal ankle eversion moment significantly increased (p<0.05). However, the maximum values of other internal ankle moments (plantar flexion and abduction) did not change. 【Conclusion】The results of this study indicated that not only the increased activity of the ankle eversion muscles was caused by the reinforcement of the intrinsic foot muscles, but also the decreased activity of the ankle inversion muscles was caused as well. This may suggest that the intrinsic foot muscles have the capacity to decrease activity of the extrinsic foot invertor muscles during gait.