Plantar pressure patterns in women affected by Ehlers-Danlos syndrome while standing and walking.
A simple pressure plate reveals dangerous foot loading patterns in women with hypermobility syndrome.
01Research in Context
What this study did
Massimiliano et al. (2013) watched women with Ehlers-Danlos hypermobility type stand and walk on a pressure plate. They compared the foot prints to healthy women of the same age.
The team used a quasi-experimental design. They looked at contact area and peak pressure under the sole.
What they found
Women with EDS-HT had smaller forefoot contact and higher plantar pressures. The pattern showed up both while standing still and while walking.
These pressure spikes could mean more pain and faster skin breakdown.
How this fits with other research
Celletti et al. (2013) studied the same adult EDS-HT group in the same year. They used the Gait Profile Score instead of pressure plates. Both teams found clear gait problems, so the findings support each other.
Cicchetti et al. (2014) saw higher ground forces in overweight children during obstacle crossing. Like Massimiliano, they link extra force under the foot to risky gait, even in different populations.
Together the papers say: if the foot loads wrong, check both the joints and the body weight.
Why it matters
You probably will not treat EDS-HT often, but the method is useful. A quick pressure scan can show hidden hot spots under a client’s foot. Add the scan to your gait assessment toolkit. Share the map with orthotists so they can build insoles that unload the red zones.
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02At a glance
03Original abstract
This study aims to quantitatively characterize plantar pressure distribution in women affected by Ehlers-Danlos syndrome of the hypermobile type (EDS-HT) to verify the existence of peculiar patterns possibly related to postural anomalies or physical and functional lower limb impairments typical of this disease. A sample of 26 women affected by EDS-HT (mean age 36.8, SD 12.0) was tested using a pressure platform in two conditions, namely static standing and walking. Raw data were processed to assess contact area and mean and peak pressure distribution in rearfoot, midfoot and forefoot. Collected data were then compared with those obtained from an equally numbered control group of unaffected women matched for age and anthropometric features. The results show that, in both tested conditions, women with EDS-HT exhibited significantly smaller forefoot contact areas and higher peak and mean pressure than the control group. No differences in the analyzed parameters were found between right and left limb. The findings of the present study suggest that individuals with EDS-HT are characterized by specific plantar pressure patterns that are likely to be caused by the morphologic and functional foot modification associated with the syndrome. The use of electronic pedobarography may provide physicians and rehabilitation therapists with information useful in monitoring the disease's progression and the effectiveness of orthotic treatments.
Research in developmental disabilities, 2013 · doi:10.1016/j.ridd.2013.07.040