The Effects of Tibialis Posterior Muscle Fatigue and Walking Speed on Dynamic Plantar Pressure Characteristics in Healthy Individuals: A Single Group Pre-Post Test.

Abstract

Objective: This study aims to investigate the effects of tibialis posterior muscle (TP) fatigue on dynamic plantar pressure (DPP) characteristics during different walking speeds.

Materials and methods: Thirty healthy volunteers walked at normal and fast paces in three trials. The Footscan^®3D system was used to obtain the distribution of dynamic plantar pressure before and after the TP fatigue protocol. The study measured the peak pressure (PP) of the hallux, toes 2-5, metatarsals (Meta 1-5), midfoot (MF), medial heel (MH) and lateral heel (LH), as well as the percentage of contact area (CA%) of the forefoot (FF), MF and hindfoot (HF), foot progression angle (FPA) and the minimum and maximum values of the subtalar angle.

Results: The results showed significant differences in the PP of Meta 4, MH and MF at a normal pace after the tibialis posterior muscle fatigue protocol. At a fast pace, significant differences were found in the PP of the MF and CA% of FF and MF. Before the fatigue protocol, there were significantly different values in the peak pressure of the hallux, toes 2-5 and MH between the two walking speeds. After the fatigue protocol, there were significantly different values in the peak pressure of toes 2-5, MH and LH between the two walking speeds. The study also found a significant difference in FPA between the two walking speeds (p<0.05).

Conclusion: The study provides evidence that TP fatigue may lead to injuries during long-term walking or sports activities. These results highlight the importance of endurance training and minimizing its negative effects on foot biomechanics by reducing fatigue.