Human foot form and function: variable and versatile, yet sufficiently related to predict function from form.

ABSTRACT: The human foot is a complex structure that plays an important role in our capacity for upright locomotion. Comparisons of our feet with those of our closest extinct and extant relatives have linked shape features (e.g. the longitudinal and transverse arches, heel size and toe length) to specific mechanical functions. However, foot shape varies widely across the human population, so it remains unclear if and how specific shape variants are related to locomotor mechanics. Here we constructed a statistical shape-function model (SFM) from 100 healthy participants to directly explore the relationship between the shape and function of our feet. We also examined if we could predict the joint motion and moments occurring within a person's foot during locomotion based purely on shape features. The

SUBMITTER: Schuster RW 

PROVIDER: S-EPMC10777145 | biostudies-literature | 2024 Jan

REPOSITORIES: biostudies-literature