The effects of low arched feet on foot rotation during gait in children with Down syndrome.
Flat feet make kids with Down syndrome turn their feet outward farther than peers—use this visible sign to spot who needs gait help.
01Research in Context
What this study did
Whitehouse et al. (2014) filmed children with Down syndrome walking across a lab floor.
They split the kids into two groups: those with flat feet and those with typical arches.
A control group of typically developing kids walked the same path.
Researchers measured how far each foot turned outward while walking.
What they found
Kids with Down syndrome and flat feet showed much more outward foot rotation.
Their feet pointed away from the body more than both other groups.
This extra rotation happened every step, not just once in a while.
How this fits with other research
Wu et al. (2014) looked at the same walkers but studied ground-reaction-force patterns.
Both teams used the same lab setup and Down syndrome sample in 2014.
Jianhua found that adding light ankle weights and speeding up the treadmill helped normalize force patterns.
Together the papers show flat feet change both foot angle and force timing in Down syndrome gait.
M et al. give you the visual clue (toe-out), while Jianhua gives you the fix (speed plus load).
Why it matters
When you see a child with Down syndrome walking like a duck, check the arch first.
A simple visual scan for toe-out angle can flag who needs a podiatry or PT referral.
Pair that with Jianhua’s speed-plus-ankle-weight protocol and you have both screen and treatment.
Document foot angle in your notes; it’s a quick, no-equipment marker for gait problems.
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Join Free →During walking practice, stand behind the child and note how far each foot points out—if it’s past one o’clock, flag for PT.
02At a glance
03Original abstract
BACKGROUND: In children with Down syndrome (DS) hypotonia and ligament laxity are characteristic features which cause a number of orthopaedic issues, such as flat foot. The aim of this study was to determine if children with flat foot are characterised by an accentuated external foot rotation during walking. METHOD: Fifty-five children with DS and 15 typically developing children recruited as control group were assessed using three-dimensional gait analysis, using an optoelectronic system, force platforms and video recording. Parameters related to foot rotation were identified and calculated and the participants' foot morphology was assessed using the arch index. RESULTS: Data obtained in this study showed that while DS children without flat foot displayed the foot position on the transverse plane globally close to controls during the whole gait cycle, the DS children with flat foot were characterised by higher extra-rotation of the foot in comparison with those without flat foot and controls. CONCLUSIONS: Our results suggest that the presence of flatfoot lead the children with DS to extra-rotate their feet more than the children without flat foot. From a clinical point of view, these results could enhance the rehabilitative programmes in DS.
Journal of intellectual disability research : JIDR, 2014 · doi:10.1111/jir.12087