SCANLOAD: The Effect of Limb Loading on Lower Limb Geometry

Two groups of subjects will be recruited for this study. The first group (Group 1) will consist of healthy, able-bodied individuals with no history of lower extremity trauma. The second group (Group 2) will consist of individuals with unilateral, below-knee functional deficits that require an AFO for daily activities (e.g. fracture, muscle and/or nerve injury, ankle arthritis, or peripheral neurologic disease).

We will obtain a brief medical history to identify major medical conditions or prior injuries that could influence limb geometry and lead to reliance on an AFO for Group 2 participants.

A 3D representation of each participant's lower limb geometry will be obtained using a Structure Core scanner (Occipital, Inc.), which uses an infrared structured light projector to construct a 3D image of an object. The scanner is connected to an iPad; to operate the scanner, the user rotates the iPad camera around the desired object. In seconds, the entire geometry is digitally reconstructed. Measurements will be evaluated using digital imaging analysis software (Standard Cyborg, Inc.). The different conditions being tested are full weight bearing, partial weight bearing, and non-weight bearing. The effect of limb loading on multiple measures of limb geometry will be evaluated. Limb measurements will include 1) width of the metatarsal heads, 2) width of the calcaneus, 3) foot length, 4) foot height, 5) arch height, 6) medial-lateral width between ankle malleoli, 7) minimum circumference above the ankle malleoli, 8) maximum calf circumference , 9) medial-lateral width of the knee condyles 10) anterior-posterior width at mid patellar tendon, 11) distance from bottom of foot to tibial tubercle.