First Metatarsophalangeal Joint Reaction Forces during High-Heel Gait

Abstract

First metatarsophalangeal (MTP) joint reaction forces were calculated for 11 normal females during the toe-off phase of gait while walking in bare feet and in high heeled shoes. A biomechanical model was used to calculate the forces utilizing kinematic, kinetic, footprint, and radiographic data. The results showed that the MTP joint reaction forces (FJ), the metatarsal-sesamoid forces (FS), and the resultant of these forces (FRES), were twice as large in high heels compared to barefoot walking. The average peak forces for barefoot and high-heeled gait were FJ: 0.8 and 1.58 times body weight, FS: 0.44 and 1.03 times body weight, and FRES: 0.93 and 1.88 times body weight. Also, the kinematics changed when wearing high heels, making angles of application of forces and sesamoidal articulations less favorable.

Get full access to this article

View all access options for this article.

References

Hughes

Clark

Klenerman

The importance of the toes in walking. J. Bone Joint Surg., 72B: 245–251, 1990.

Hutton

W.C.

Dhanendran

The mechanics of normal and hallux valgus feet—a quantitative study. Clin. Orthop., 157: 7–13, 1981.

MacKinnon

C.D.

Godfrey

C.M.

A clinically viable force platform measurement technique for the visual and numerical assessment of force distributions beneath the feet. Proc. North Am. Congr. Biomech., Human Locomotion IV, 25–27, 1986.

Opila-Correia

K.A.

Kinematics of high-heeled gait. Arch. Phys. Med. Rehabil., 71: 304–309, 1990.

Shereff

M.J.

Bejjani

F.J.

Kummer

F.J.

Kinematics of the first metatarsophalangeal joint. J. Bone Joint Surg., 68A: 392–398, 1986.

Stokes

I.A.F.

Hutton

W.C.

Stott

J.R.R.

Forces acting on the metatarsals during normal walking. J. Anat., 129 (3):579–590, 1979.

Sussman

R.E.

D'Amico

J.C.

The influence of the height of the heel on the first metatarsophalangeal joint. J. Am. Podiatry Assoc., 74 (10):504–508, 1984.

Wyss

U.P.

Cooke

T.D.V.

Yoshioka

Bryant

J.T.

Siu

Murphy

Alignment of the first metatarsal-phalangeal joint: important criteria for a new joint replacement. J. Biomed. Eng., 11: 19–24, 1989.

Wyss

U.P.

McBride

Murphy

Olney

S.J.

Cooke

T.D.V.

Joint reaction forces at the first MTP joint in an elderly population. J. Biomech., 23 (10):977–984, 1990.

10.

Yoshioka

Siu

D.W.

Cooke

T.D.V.

Bryant

J.T.

Wyss

Geometry of the first metatarsophalangeal joint. J. Orthop. Res., 6: 878–885, 1988.