Ankle Kinematics Characterization in Children with Idiopathic Toe Walking: Does the Foot Model Change the Clinical Evaluation?

Brasiliano, Paolo; Alvini, Martina; Di Stanislao, Eugenio; Vannozzi, Giuseppe; Di Rosa, Giuseppe; Camomilla, Valentina

doi:10.3390/healthcare11060873

Open AccessBrief Report

Ankle Kinematics Characterization in Children with Idiopathic Toe Walking: Does the Foot Model Change the Clinical Evaluation?

by

Paolo Brasiliano

^1,2,

Martina Alvini

^2,3,

Eugenio Di Stanislao

^2,3

,

Giuseppe Vannozzi

^1,2,*

,

Giuseppe Di Rosa

⁴ and

Valentina Camomilla

^1,2

¹

Department of Movement, Human and Health Sciences, University of Rome “Foro Italico”, Piazza Lauro De Bosis 6, 00135 Rome, Italy

²

Interuniversity Centre of Bioengineering of the Human Neuromusculoskeletal System, University of Rome “Foro Italico”, 00135 Rome, Italy

³

“ITOP SpA Officine Ortopediche”, Via Prenestina Nuova 307/A-Area Industriale, 00036 Palestrina, Italy

⁴

Division of Pediatric Neurorehabilitation, “Ospedale Pediatrico Bambino Gesù”, 00165 Rome, Italy

^*

Author to whom correspondence should be addressed.

Healthcare 2023, 11(6), 873; https://doi.org/10.3390/healthcare11060873

Submission received: 30 December 2022 / Revised: 10 March 2023 / Accepted: 14 March 2023 / Published: 16 March 2023

(This article belongs to the Special Issue Outcome Measures and Innovative Approaches in Rehabilitation)

Download

Browse Figures

Versions Notes

Abstract

Idiopathic toe walking (ITW) is a gait deviation characterized by forefoot contact with the ground, sometimes observed in children, that alters ankle kinematics, possibly leading to health-related issues. When studying foot and ankle gait deviations, the adoption of a single-segment foot model entails a significant simplification of foot and ankle movement, and thus may potentially mask some important foot dynamics. Differences in ankle kinematics between single- (conventional gait model, PiG, or Davis) and multi-segment (Oxford foot model, OFM) foot models were investigated in children with ITW. Fourteen participants were enrolled in the study and underwent instrumented gait analysis. Children were asked to walk barefoot and while wearing a foot orthosis that modified the ankle movement pattern toward a more physiological one without blocking foot intrinsic motion. ITW gait abnormalities, e.g., the absence of heel rocker and the presence of anticipated forefoot rocker, were found/not found according to the foot model. Walking conditions significantly interacted with the foot model effect. Finally, the different characterization of gait abnormalities led to a different classification of ITW, with a possible impact on the clinical evaluation. Due to its closer adhesion to ankle anatomy and to its sensitivity to ITW peculiarities, OFM may be preferable for instrumented gait analysis in this population.

Keywords: ITW; multi-segment foot model; pediatric gait; gait analysis; rockers

Share and Cite

MDPI and ACS Style

Brasiliano, P.; Alvini, M.; Di Stanislao, E.; Vannozzi, G.; Di Rosa, G.; Camomilla, V. Ankle Kinematics Characterization in Children with Idiopathic Toe Walking: Does the Foot Model Change the Clinical Evaluation? Healthcare 2023, 11, 873. https://doi.org/10.3390/healthcare11060873

AMA Style

Brasiliano P, Alvini M, Di Stanislao E, Vannozzi G, Di Rosa G, Camomilla V. Ankle Kinematics Characterization in Children with Idiopathic Toe Walking: Does the Foot Model Change the Clinical Evaluation? Healthcare. 2023; 11(6):873. https://doi.org/10.3390/healthcare11060873

Chicago/Turabian Style

Brasiliano, Paolo, Martina Alvini, Eugenio Di Stanislao, Giuseppe Vannozzi, Giuseppe Di Rosa, and Valentina Camomilla. 2023. "Ankle Kinematics Characterization in Children with Idiopathic Toe Walking: Does the Foot Model Change the Clinical Evaluation?" Healthcare 11, no. 6: 873. https://doi.org/10.3390/healthcare11060873

APA Style

Brasiliano, P., Alvini, M., Di Stanislao, E., Vannozzi, G., Di Rosa, G., & Camomilla, V. (2023). Ankle Kinematics Characterization in Children with Idiopathic Toe Walking: Does the Foot Model Change the Clinical Evaluation? Healthcare, 11(6), 873. https://doi.org/10.3390/healthcare11060873

Note that from the first issue of 2016, this journal uses article numbers instead of page numbers. See further details here.

Article Menu

Ankle Kinematics Characterization in Children with Idiopathic Toe Walking: Does the Foot Model Change the Clinical Evaluation?

Abstract

Share and Cite

Article Metrics

Article Access Statistics

Further Information

Guidelines

MDPI Initiatives

Follow MDPI