Relationship between Flat Foot and Lower Limb Muscle Activation among 12 Years Old Children

Abstract

Optimal leg muscle activity is one of the essential factors to maintain body stability.  The condition of the pedis arch could affect the musculoskeletal structure and biomechanics of the body. Furthermore, age and sex also affect the formations of the pedis arch. The objective is to determine the relationship between the degree of flat foot and the activation of the lower leg muscles in children aged 12 years old. The study was conducted using the correlational method with a Cross-Sectional approach. The sample of the study included 15 girls aged 12 years old. The independent variable was measured by the wet footprint test with Clarke's angle category method and the dependent variable was measured by sEMG. The results showed that there was no relationship between flat foot and lower leg muscle activation in children aged 12 years old (p>0.05) with p-value of 0.58, 0.462, and 0.642 for the activation of anterior tibial muscle, the medial gastrocnemius muscle, and the lateral gastrocnemius muscle, respectively. There was no relationship between the flat foot and the activation of lower leg muscles in children aged 12 years.