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. 2022 Nov 21:10:1051747.
doi: 10.3389/fbioe.2022.1051747. eCollection 2022.

Effects of arch support doses on the center of pressure and pressure distribution of running using statistical parametric mapping

Jiale Cheng  1   2 , Qing Zeng  3   4 , Jiaqi Lai  1   2 , Xianyi Zhang  1   2
Affiliations

Effects of arch support doses on the center of pressure and pressure distribution of running using statistical parametric mapping

Jiale Cheng et al. Front Bioeng Biotechnol. .

Abstract

Insoles with an arch support have been used to address biomechanical risk factors of running. However, the relationship between the dose of support and running biomechanics remains unclear. The purpose of this study was to determine the effects of changing arch support doses on the center of pressure (COP) and pressure mapping using statistical parametric mapping (SPM). Nine arch support variations (3 heights * 3 widths) and a flat insole control were tested on fifteen healthy recreational runners using a 1-m Footscan pressure plate. The medial-lateral COP (COPML) coordinates and the total COP velocity (COPVtotal) were calculated throughout the entirety of stance. One-dimensional and two-dimensional SPM were performed to assess differences between the arch support and control conditions for time series of COP variables and pressure mapping at a pixel level, respectively. Two-way ANOVAs were performed to test the main effect of the arch support height and width, and their interaction on the peak values of the COPVtotal. The results showed that the COPVtotal during the forefoot contact and forefoot push off phases was increased by arch supports, while the COP medial-lateral coordinates remained unchanged. There was a dose-response effect of the arch support height on peak values of the COPVtotal, with a higher support increasing the first and third valleys but decreasing the third peak of the COPVtotal. Meanwhile, a higher arch support height shifted the peak pressure from the medial forefoot and rearfoot to the medial arch. It is concluded that changing arch support doses, primarily the height, systematically altered the COP velocities and peak plantar pressure at a pixel level during running. When assessing subtle modifications in the arch support, the COP velocity was a more sensitive variable than COP coordinates. SPM provides a high-resolution view of pressure comparisons, and is recommended for future insole/footwear investigations to better understand the underlying mechanisms and improve insole design.

Keywords: arch support; center of pressure; pressure distribution; running biomechanics; statistical parametric mapping.

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Conflict of interest statement

The authors declare that the research was conducted in the absence of any commercial or financial relationships that could be construed as a potential conflict of interest.

Figures

FIGURE 1
FIGURE 1
The experimental setting. ICP, initial contact phase; FFCP, forefoot contact phase; FFP, foot flat phase; FFPOP, forefoot push off phase; IFC, initial foot contact; IMC, initial metatarsal contact; FFC, forefoot contact; HO, heel-off; TO, toe-off.
FIGURE 2
FIGURE 2
Nine variations of the arch support with three doses in the arch support height (AH: H0, H4, and H8 in mm) and three doses in the arch support width (AW: W0, W3, and W6 in mm).
FIGURE 3
FIGURE 3
Mean curves of the COPML coordinates during running. Medial displacements of the COPML were expressed as positive values. H0, H4, and H8 represented the mean data of arch supports of three different heights; W0, W3, and W6 represented the mean data of arch supports of three different widths. Four subphases are indicated with vertical dash lines on the x-axis. ICP, initial contact phase; FFCP, forefoot contact phase; FFP, foot flat phase; FFPOP, forefoot push off phase; IFC, initial foot contact; IMC, initial metatarsal contact; FFC, forefoot contact; HO, heel-off; TO, toe-off.
FIGURE 4
FIGURE 4
Mean curves of the COPVtotal during running. H0, H4, and H8 represented the mean data of arch supports of three different heights; W0, W3, and W6 represented the mean data of arch supports of three different widths. Four sub-phases are indicated with vertical lines on the x-axis. The black bar below the graph represents the time during which the differences between the groups occurred (p < 0.05), what was indicated by the SPM {t} statistics. ICP, initial contact phase; FFCP, forefoot contact phase; FFP, foot flat phase; FFPOP, forefoot push off phase; IFC, initial foot contact; IMC, initial metatarsal contact; FFC, forefoot contact; HO, heel-off; TO, toe-off.
FIGURE 5
FIGURE 5
Results of plantar pressure analysis of 9 pairs of different arch supports.
See this image and copyright information in PMC

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