Abstract
One of the risk factors in diabetic foot disease is foot plantar pressure abnormalities, especially elevated forefoot pressure and the decreased ratio of the peak pressure on the forefoot to that on the toe, particularly in walking. We studied how limited joint mobility alone influences foot plantar pressure by measuring and comparing foot plantar pressure in nondiabetics walking barefoot with ankle dorsiflexion limited to 10 and 0 degrees. In unilateral limitation of the right foot, we found that such limited mobility significantly decreased peak toe pressure, and significantly increased peak forefoot pressure. We found that limited ankle dorsiflexion shifted peak foot plantar pressure from the toe to the forefoot, similar to that in diabetic patients. We also found that bilateral, but not unilateral, limitation changed peak pressure. Our results suggest that limited joint mobility in ankle dorsiflexion alone may distributes foot plantar pressure abnormally and increases such pressure.
