Is bodyweight affecting plantar pressure distribution in children? An observational study

Medicine® is a scientific information journal that provides authors (all highly specialized) with a distinctive service: it allows the continuous publication of original research in a broad spectrum of medical scientific disciplines. And not long ago, on issue 99 (September 2020, available CLICKING HERE), a very interesting postural analysis article has been published which reports the results of an in-depth study on the distribution of plantar pressure in relation to sex and – specifically – to weight.

The study, conducted on a sample of 416 children, used the platform for pressure measurements FreeMed Maxi of our design. Each child underwent a postural instrumental evaluation including one static baropodometry (positioned in an orthostatic position) in order to acquire the foot characteristics in terms of the percentage of plantar pressure.

A contribution that makes us understand even more the importance of our work in Sensor Medica and the responsibility of these scientific studies, which concern not only posturology, but also aspects of social life of each individual. A commitment that pushes us to continue our research every day to create increasingly precise and functional tools.

But let’s see the results of this research in detail and try to understand their importance also in terms of prevention. We remember, for the purpose of understanding the analysis, that everything was evaluated in relation to the weight – and sex – of the children. Here are the four categories considered: underweight, normal weight, overweight and obese.

[…] It has been shown that several individual characteristics such as age, poor fitness status, illness may be influencing factors which alter plantar pressure distribution, which may lead to various deformities. In this regard, studies have shown that overweight and obese children are exposed to a higher risk of gait patterns deficiency, unstable posture, exposure to higher forces / impacts to the lower limbs, lower limbs malalignment, and diminished bone mineral density, which has been previously related to increased incidence of overuse injuries and bone fractures. Consequently, in this regard, studies have urged the necessity to analyze foot plantar pressure as a precaution for postural disorders, particularly in the feet. Besides the above-mentioned health issues, a massive increase of pediatric obesity has been reported worldwide in the last decade, which has been linked with several health problems, and has become an essential topic for public health. Furthermore, it has been proven that excessive body weight has a direct effect on children’s musculoskeletal system development, a problem that disturbs and changes their speed, step length, and stability compared with normal weight counterparts. In addition, the related literature regarding the effect of obesity on foot structure has highlighted that overweight among preschool children is correlated with anatomical changes and differences in the distribution of plantar pressure, and consequently the increased loading could lead to an increased risk of developing pathologies and injuries. […]

It is clear how important is the series of data that a study like this can elaborate, with the possibility of intervening in time on the single individual, before the aforementioned deformities can arise (prevention is a very dear topic to us). In essence, the study showed that “there is a weight category effect on plantar pressure distribution, with obese children significantly different from other categories. In addition, obese children have been found to carry more weight on their right foot than on their left. ”

The result – in relation to the incidence of obesity – is perfectly in line with what was found in previous studies and underlines a non-negligible aspect: “[…] excessive weight has a negative impact on the morphology of the foot and on the sensitivity of the foot, which plays a crucial role in postural tasks involving balance “. There are also differences related to sex, always in the more delicate category, that of obesity, but we leave you to consult the full text for further information.

Scientific research never stops.

Sensor Medica is part of it, with pride.

Thanks to the staff who conducted the analysis and who chose to use our technology: Kaltrina Feka, MSc, PhD, Jessica Brusa, MSc, Rosanna Cannata, MSc, Valerio Giustino, MSc, PhD, Antonino Bianco, PhD, Masar Gjaka , PhD, Angelo Iovane, MD, Antonio Palma, MD, Giuseppe Messina, MD.

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