Spatiotemporal and foot kinematic differences during gait in individuals with cavus foot

Abstract

Cavus foot, defined by a high medial arch, alters plantar pressure distribution and gait biomechanics, often leading to increased forefoot and heel loading, joint stiffness, and musculoskeletal complications. However, specific kinematic differences compared to normal feet remain underexplored. This study aims to analyse gait kinematics differences in subjects with cavus foot versus those with normally aligned feet. A case-control study was carried out in 100 subjects (50 with bilateral cavus foot and 50 with neutral foot) using the PODOSmart® system, which consists of one pairs of smart insoles, which are available in six sizes covering European sizes 36 to 47, to measure spatiotemporal parameters and segmental foot kinematics with a sampling frequency of 208 Hz. spatiotemporal Kinematic gait analysis showed statistically significant differences (p = 0.003) in the case group, with a shorter duration of the taligrade phase of gait in both the left and right feet. The subject with pes cavus showed rapid heel contact, presenting a shorter duration of the taligrade phase of gait compared to subjects with normal feet, which is related to the supination characteristic of this deformity.