Plantar Pressure Characteristics with Foot Postures and Balance Abilities in Indigenous Taiwanese: A Preliminary Exploration.

BACKGROUND Although Indigenous Taiwanese are generally known for having excellent athleticism and balance abilities, the correlation between foot characteristics and balance abilities has rarely been discussed. This study aimed to explore the characteristics of plantar pressure profiles associated with foot posture and balance abilities among Indigenous Taiwanese. MATERIAL AND METHODS We recruited 165 Indigenous college students and 183 healthy age-matched students. Bipedal static plantar pressure distributions (PPDs) with arch index (AI) and centers of gravity balance were examined using the JC Mat. Foot posture was determined by estimating the rearfoot postural alignment. RESULTS Indigenous Taiwanese in the study generally had low-arched feet with increased plantar loads at the medial (left: 1.21±0.43%; right: 1.20±0.46%) and lateral longitudinal arches (left: 24.51±5.26%; right: 24.45±6.64) (P<0.01) and the medial metatarsals (left: 21.78±3.81%; right: 22.19±3.91) (P<0.01). Footprint images illustrated pronounced cuboid and navicular collapses. Performances of balance abilities (left: 49.53±4.38%; right: 50.47±4.38) (P<0.01) and rearfoot postural angles (left: 1.37±1.25°; right: 1.32±1.17°) (P<0.05) were better than those of controls. CONCLUSIONS The feet in Indigenous Taiwanese had low arches and higher plantar loads at the medial and lateral longitudinal arches and medial metatarsals, while their centers of gravity were symmetrical and rearfoot posture was normal. These results may facilitate further studies on the relationship between foot characteristics, potential athleticism, and musculoskeletal injuries in Indigenous Taiwanese.