Phethean, J 2009, Plantar pressure distribution in 4 to 7 year olds , PhD thesis, University of Salford.

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Abstract

Introduction This study focuses on the plantar pressure distribution patterns in children aged 4 to 7 years of age for the purposes of a better understanding of any age-related changes and from that a better understanding of age-related changes in foot function and structure. Method Ninety-eight children who achieved the correct age-related height, weight and locomotion skills; were born within a normal gestational period and had no gait abnormalities underwent plantar pressure analysis. Peak plantar pressure and plantar pressure time integral data were obtained from the: calcaneus, medial and lateral midfoot, each of the five metatarsal heads and hallux. Both longitudinal and crosssectional data were collected at 4, 5, 6 and 7 years of age. The data subsets were analysed to determine if there were any age-related changes. Results Prior plantar pressure data analysis found no significant difference between the left and right feet (p>0.05), no significant difference between males and females (p>0.05) and some evidence of a weak, positive correlation between plantar pressure data and body weight (r<0.5). There was no systematic change across the longitudinal and crosssectional plantar pressure data for the 4, 5 and 6 years olds. There were significant differences in the plantar pressure data between 4 and 7 years of age (p<0.05). Conclusion The two year interval between 4 and 6 years of age is too short a time period to observe systematic change in plantar pressures. Annual age increments are not a key marker for changes in plantar pressure between these ages. Changes between 4 and 7 years of age suggest that this window of time may be large enough to observe differences in plantar pressure. Xlll

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