Foot Posture Index
Foot Posture Index - Related Videos
07:40
Foot Exam
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2023
Source: Robert E. Sallis, MD. Kaiser Permanente, Fontana, California, USA The foot is a complex structure composed of numerous bones and articulations. It provides flexibility, is the essential contact point needed for ambulation, and is uniquely suited to absorb shock. Because the foot must support the weight of the entire body, it is prone to injury and pain. When examining the foot, it is important to remove shoes and socks on both sides, so that the entire foot can be inspected and compared.
09:37
Substantiating Appropriate Motion Capture Techniques for the Assessment of Nordic Walking Gait and Posture in Older Adults
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Cited by 5 •
2016
The aim was to substantiate optimal use of data collection techniques for Nordic walking gait and posture analysis. Three-dimensional motion capture should be used during short duration analysis (i.e. single gait cycle), while accelerometry should be employed for longer duration analysis (i.e. repeated cycles) like a 6 Minute Walk Test.
14:52
Computerized Dynamic Posturography for Postural Control Assessment in Patients with Intermittent Claudication
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Cited by 57 •
2013
Individuals with intermittent claudication exhibit poor balance compared to healthy controls. Computerized dynamic posturography is an objective method for measuring an individual's postural responses to balance disturbances. This provides an objective reflection of the person’s ability to respond to situations under which sensory stimuli are altered and unexpected perturbations occur.
08:11
Assessing Forelimb Function after Unilateral Cervical SCI using Novel Tasks: Limb Step-alternation, Postural Instability and Pasta Handling
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Cited by 9 •
2013
Three new behavioral tests (forelimb step-alternation, postural instability test, pasta handling test) for evaluating forelimb function after cervical spinal cord injury in rodents are described.
12:18
An Instrumented Pull Test to Characterize Postural Responses
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Cited by 1 •
2019
Impairment of postural reflexes, termed postural instability, is difficult to quantify. Clinical assessments such as the pull test suffer issues with reliability and scaling. Here, we present an instrumented version of the pull test to objectively characterize postural responses.
FAQs
Each criterion captures a different visible or palpable aspect of foot alignment, including talar head position, malleolar curvature, calcaneal position, talonavicular prominence, medial arch height, and forefoot-to-rearfoot alignment. Combining these observations into one composite score reduces reliance on a single feature and provides a broader description of where the foot lies on the pronated-to-supinated continuum.
Medial arch height represents only one aspect of alignment. The Foot Posture Index also considers rearfoot position, talar head palpation, the contours around the lateral malleolus, talonavicular prominence, and forefoot-to-rearfoot alignment. Examining these regions together helps distinguish a broader structural pattern from an interpretation based on one visible characteristic.
A position toward either end of the pronated-to-supinated continuum provides a way to describe individual differences in foot alignment. These differences can be examined alongside movement because foot posture may relate to lower-limb biomechanics, gait, and balance. The index therefore supplies a structural reference for investigating how alignment corresponds with movement patterns and neural control.
In neuroscience research, the measure can characterize participants' foot alignment while investigators examine balance, gait, or lower-limb biomechanics. This separation of structural posture from movement outcomes helps researchers describe whether participants with different foot postures show different sensorimotor patterns. It is especially useful when individual anatomical differences could influence interpretation of neural control during movement.
The assessment consists of observing and palpating the six specified criteria: talar head position, curvature above and below the lateral malleolus, calcaneal position, talonavicular prominence, medial arch height, and forefoot-to-rearfoot alignment. Each observation contributes to a composite score, which is then used to describe the person's position along the pronated-to-supinated continuum.
The composite score condenses findings from six alignment features into a standardized summary. This makes it easier to describe foot posture consistently across participants or clinical observations, while retaining the connection to the individual criteria that produced the result. In research, the summary can serve as a posture measure when examining gait, balance, or lower-limb biomechanics.
It is useful when a study needs a standardized description of foot alignment alongside measures of movement. Researchers can use the assessment to characterize participants, compare individual differences, and investigate relationships between posture and gait, balance, or lower-limb biomechanics. Within neuroscience, those relationships can inform studies of sensorimotor control and neural contributions to movement.