Can a rigid antipronation foot orthosis change the effects of prolonged standing on postural control in men with patellofemoral pain?

Abstract

Background: Pronated foot posture is known as a contributing factor for patellofemoral pain (PFP) development. Patients with patellofemoral pain often experience poor postural control. Implementation of optimal management strategies for enhancing their postural performance is important. Objective(s): The aim of this study was to determine whether a rigid antipronation foot orthosis changes prolonged standing effects on postural control in men with PFP. Study Design: Case–control study. Methods: Twenty-eight men with PFP and pronated foot and 28 healthy men were enrolled in this study. Center-of-pressure parameters were measured during short trials (60 seconds) of single-leg standing before and immediately after prolonged standing (20 minutes) using force platform. In patients with PFP, postural control was examined on 2 separate days with and without rigid antipronation foot orthosis. Results: Findings showed that the pre–post differences of sway area (t(48) = −2.22, p = 0.03), mediolateral (ML) displacement (t (48) = −2.51, p = 0.01), and mean velocity (t(48) = −2.01, p = 0.04) were significantly greater in patients with PFP without foot orthosis compared with those in the healthy group. Significant intervention main effect (p = 0.04) and time-by-intervention interaction (p = 0.006) for sway area were shown. Significant intervention main effects were noted for ML displacement (p = 0.007) and mean velocity (p = 0.003). For these variables, significant time-by-intervention interactions were found. Further analysis showed greater values of ML displacement and mean velocity parameters before the prolonged standing in patients with PFP without foot orthosis compared with patients with PFP with orthosis. Conclusions: Rigid antipronation foot orthosis can improve the postural performance after prolonged standing in young adult men with PFP.