Morphological and Functional Effects of a Foot Strengthening Protocol

Not Applicable

Completed

• Conditions: Foot Strength Deficit
• Interventions: Procedure: La Tour Hospital Foot Strengthening Protocol; Procedure: Standard Literature Foot Strengthening Protocol

• Registration Number: NCT05216692
• Lead Sponsor: François Fourchet

Brief Summary

The principal aim of this study is to investigate the effects of a four-week foot strenghtening protocol combining active voluntary exercises and assisted-active voluntary exercises by neuromuscular electrical stimulation on hallux toe flexion strength in comparison to a standard foot strengthening protocol in a healthy adult recreational active population.

The secondary objectives of the study are to investigate the effects of this protocol on lesser toes flexor strength, foot morphology deformation in one, two and three dimensions and kinetic parameters when walking and running.

Detailed Description

Not available

Study Timeline

• Study First Submitted: 2021-12-14
• Study Start: 2022-01-03
• Study First Submitted QC: 2022-01-27
• Study First Posted: 2022-01-31
• Primary Completion: 2022-02-11
• Study Completion: 2022-02-11
• Status Verified: 2022-04
• Last Update Submitted: 2022-04-19
• Last Update Posted: 2022-04-20

Recruitment & Eligibility

• Status: COMPLETED
• Sex: All
• Target Recruitment: 28

Inclusion Criteria

• Level of weekly physical activity (recreational activity and regular non-competitive runners : at least 1 running session per week)

Exclusion Criteria

• History of pain or episodes of foot or ankle sprains during the past 6 months;
• Foot or leg fractures during the past year;
• Severe deformity of the foot or leg;
• Self-declared disability due to neuromuscular impairment of the lower limbs;
• Neurological or vestibular deficit that could hinder balance (diabetes mellitus, radiculopathie lumbosacral, soft tissue disorder such as Marfan or Ehlers-Danlos syndrome) ;
• Any absolute contraindication to neuromuscular electrical stimulation (NMES) (cardiac pacemaker, epileptic disorders, pregnancy defibrillator);
• Participation in an exercise program specifically designed to strengthen the ankle or foot during the last 6 months

Study & Design

• Study Type: INTERVENTIONAL
• Study Design: PARALLEL

Arm && Interventions

Group	Intervention	Description
Experimental group	La Tour Hospital Foot Strengthening Protocol	The foot strengthening protocol will last 4 weeks with 2 sessions per week and is composed of 3 exercises targeting forefoot and midfoot region strength as well as enhancing plyometric capabilities of the foot complex.
Control group	Standard Literature Foot Strengthening Protocol	The standard literature foot strengthening protocol will last 4 weeks with 3 sessions per week and is composed of one exercise targeting the strength of the foot medial arch.

Primary Outcome Measures

Name	Time	Method
Change in Hallux flexion strength	All measures will be collected on both feet 1 week prior the treatment and 1 week after the last intervention session	Hallux flexion strength will be assessed by a MicroFET2 Handheld Digital Dynamometer in hook lying position. The strength will be normalized by bodyweight (N/kg).

Secondary Outcome Measures

Name	Time	Method
Change in Lesser toe flexion strength	All measures will be collected on both feet 1 week prior the treatment and 1 week after the last intervention session	Lesser toe flexion strength will be assessed by a MicroFET2 Handheld Digital Dynamometer in hook lying position. The strength will be normalized by bodyweight (N/kg).
Change in Running and walking kinetics : Stiffness parameter	All measures will be collected on both feet 1 week prior the treatment and 1 week after the last intervention session	Running kinetic parameters when walking and running will be assessed with an instrumented treadmill (Zebris FDM-THQ, ZebrisMedicalGmbH, Germany). The variable collected will be mean kleg (Kn/m) during 40 seconds of acquisition at self-selected speed during walking and running.
Change in Running and walking kinetics : Pressure parameter	All measures will be collected on both feet 1 week prior the treatment and 1 week after the last intervention session	Running kinetic parameters when walking and running will be assessed with an instrumented treadmill (Zebris FDM-THQ, ZebrisMedicalGmbH, Germany). The variable collected will be the maximal pressure (N/cm²) on 7-foot regions (heel 1, heel 2, midfoot, forefoot 1, forefoot 2, forefoot 3, toes) during 40 seconds of acquisition at self-selected speed during walking and running.
Change in Running and walking kinetics : Time parameters	All measures will be collected on both feet 1 week prior the treatment and 1 week after the last intervention session	Running kinetic parameters when walking and running will be assessed with an instrumented treadmill (Zebris FDM-THQ, ZebrisMedicalGmbH, Germany). The variables collected will be mean contact time (s), mean flight time (s), and the duration (s) on 7-foot regions (heel 1, heel 2, midfoot, forefoot 1, forefoot 2, forefoot 3, toes) will be assessed during 40 seconds of acquisition at self-selected speed during walking and running.
Change in Foot morphological deformation	All measures will be collected on both feet 1 week prior the treatment and 1 week after the last intervention session	Foot morphological deformation in 1, 2 and 3 dimensions will be assessed thanks to the Arch Height Index Measurement System (AHIMS, JAKTOOL Corporation, Cranberry, NJ) by measuring the change of the total foot length, foot width, truncated foot length, dorsal arch height, navicular height measurements in a sitting position (10% of bodyweight) to a standing position (95% of bodyweight). The percentage of loading during the measurement will be checked by performing the measurement of force platform.
Change in Running and walking kinetics : Force parameters	All measures will be collected on both feet 1 week prior the treatment and 1 week after the last intervention session	Running kinetic parameters when walking and running will be assessed with an instrumented treadmill (Zebris FDM-THQ, ZebrisMedicalGmbH, Germany). The variables collected will be mean vertical force (N) and peak force (N) on 7-foot regions (heel 1, heel 2, midfoot, forefoot 1, forefoot 2, forefoot 3, toes) during 40 seconds of acquisition at self-selected speed during walking and running.
Change in Running and walking kinetics : Distance parameters	All measures will be collected on both feet 1 week prior the treatment and 1 week after the last intervention session	Running kinetic parameters when walking and running will be assessed with an instrumented treadmill (Zebris FDM-THQ, ZebrisMedicalGmbH, Germany). The variables collected will be step length (cm) and step width (cm) during 40 seconds of acquisition at self-selected speed during walking and running.
Change in Running and walking kinetics : Frequency parameter	All measures will be collected on both feet 1 week prior the treatment and 1 week after the last intervention session	Running kinetic parameters when walking and running will be assessed with an instrumented treadmill (Zebris FDM-THQ, ZebrisMedicalGmbH, Germany). The variable collected will be step frequency (step/min) during 40 seconds of acquisition at self-selected speed during walking and running.

Trial Locations

Locations (1)

Hopital de La Tour, Service de Physiothérapie; 🇨🇭 Meyrin, Geneve, Switzerland