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. 2021 May 24;22(1):475.
doi: 10.1186/s12891-021-04370-x.

Effects of worn and new footwear on plantar pressure in people with gout

Mike Frecklington  1 , Nicola Dalbeth  2   3 , Peter McNair  4 , Alain Vandal  5   6 , Peter Gow  7 , Keith Rome  4
Affiliations

Effects of worn and new footwear on plantar pressure in people with gout

Mike Frecklington et al. BMC Musculoskelet Disord. .

Abstract

Background: In clinical trials, good quality athletic shoes offer short-term improvements (two-months) in foot pain and disability in people with gout, but these improvements are not sustained over time. This may be due to wear and subsequent changes to the structural integrity of the shoe. The aim of this study was to examine the effects of wear on plantar pressures and footwear characteristics in shoes over six-months in people with gout.

Methods: Forty people with gout participated in a cross-sectional repeated measures study. Participants wore a pair of commercially available athletic footwear for six-months. Participants then attended a study visit where the worn footwear was compared with a new pair of the same model and size of footwear. Wear characteristics (upper, midsole, outsole) and plantar pressure were measured in the two footwear conditions. Wear characteristics were analysed using paired t-tests and Fisher's exact tests. Plantar pressure data were analysed using linear mixed models.

Results: Increases in medial midsole (P < 0.001), lateral midsole (P < 0.001) and heel midsole (P < 0.001) hardness were observed in the worn shoes. Normal upper wear patterns (P < 0.001) and outsole wear patterns (P < 0.001) were observed in most of the worn shoes. No differences in peak plantar pressures (P < 0.007) were observed between the two footwear conditions. Reduced pressure time integrals at the first metatarsophalangeal joint (P < 0.001), second metatarsophalangeal joint (P < 0.001) and hallux (P = 0.003) were seen in the worn shoes.

Conclusions: The study found signs of wear were observed at the upper, midsole and outsole in the worn footwear after six-months. These changes to the structural properties of the footwear may affect forefoot loading patterns in people with gout.

Keywords: Footwear; Gout; Plantar pressure.

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Conflict of interest statement

N. Dalbeth reports research grant funding from Amgen and AstraZeneca, speaker fees from Pfizer, Horizon, Janssen, and Abbvie, and consulting fees from AstraZeneca, Horizon, Dyve, and Hengrui, outside the submitted work. K. Rome has received funding from ASICS, outside the submitted work. ASICS had no role in this study. The footwear used in the study was purchased at retail price. The other authors declare no competing interests.

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References

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