Kinetic factors of vertical jumping for heading a ball in flexible flatfooted amateur soccer players with and without insole adoption.

BACKGROUND: According to literature, little is known regarding the effects of orthotic management of flatfoot on kinetics of vertical jump.

OBJECTIVES: To compare the kinetic and temporal events of two-legged vertical jumping take-off from a force plate for heading a ball in normal and flexible flatfoot subjects with and without insole.

STUDY DESIGN: A functional based interventional controlled study.

METHODS: Random sampling method was employed to draw a control group of 15 normal foot subjects to a group of 15 flatfoot subjects. A force platform was used to record kinetics of two-legged vertical jump shots.

RESULTS: Results indicate that insole did not lead to a significant effect on kinetics regarding anterior-posterior and mediolateral directions (p > 0.05). Results of kinetics related to vertical direction for maximum force due to take-off and stance duration revealed significant differences between the normal and flexible flatfoot subjects without insole (p < 0.05) and no significant differences between the normal foot and flexible flatfoot subjects with insole adoption (p > 0.05).

CONCLUSIONS: These results suggest that the use of an insole in the flexible flatfoot subjects led to improved stance time and decrease of magnitude of kinetics regarding vertical direction at take-off as the main feature of two-legged vertical jumping function.

CLINICAL RELEVANCE: Adoption of the insole improved the design of the shoe-foot interface support for the flexible flatfoot athletes, enabling them to develop more effective take-off kinetics for vertical jumping in terms of ground reaction force and stance duration similar to that of normal foot subjects without insole.