An Elastic Foot Orthosis for Limiting the Increase of Shear Modulus of Lower Leg Muscles after a Running Task: A Randomized Crossover Trial.

Background: Excessive foot pronation may be attributed to an increasing burden on leg muscles during running, which might be a factor in medial tibial stress syndrome. We developed an elastic foot orthosis (EFO) that can decrease foot pronation and aimed to identify whether this orthosis could limit the increase in lower leg muscle hardness after running.

Methods: Twenty-one healthy volunteers participated in this randomized crossover trial with an elastic or sham foot orthosis (SFO).

Validity and reproducibility of foot motion analysis using a stretch strain sensor.

Background: Multi-segment foot analysis is traditionally challenging to perform while subjects are wearing footwear or a foot orthosis and is difficult to apply in the clinical setting. A recently developed stretch strain sensor (STR), that is thin and highly flexible, may solve this limitation because it does not require observation using a camera and is highly portable.

Research Question: This study aimed to examine the reproducibility and validity of foot motion analysis using the STR during walking and running by comparing it with a conventional motion capture system.