The foot core system: a new paradigm for understanding intrinsic foot muscle function.

The foot is a complex structure with many articulations and multiple degrees of freedom that play an important role in static posture and dynamic activities. The evolutionary development of the arch of the foot was coincident with the greater demands placed on the foot as humans began to run. The movement and stability of the arch is controlled by intrinsic and extrinsic muscles. However, the intrinsic muscles are largely ignored by clinicians and researchers. As such, these muscles are seldom addressed in rehabilitation programmes. Interventions for foot-related problems are more often directed at externally supporting the foot rather than training these muscles to function as they are designed. In this paper, we propose a novel paradigm for understanding the function of the foot. We begin with an overview of the evolution of the human foot with a focus on the development of the arch. This is followed by a description of the foot intrinsic muscles and their relationship to the extrinsic muscles. We draw the parallels between the small muscles of the trunk region that make up the lumbopelvic core and the intrinsic foot muscles, introducing the concept of the foot core. We then integrate the concept of the foot core into the assessment and treatment of the foot. Finally, we call for an increased awareness of the importance of the foot core stability to normal foot and lower extremity function.

Marked loss of sympathetic nerve fibers in chronic Charcot foot of diabetic origin compared to ankle joint osteoarthritis.

The pathogenesis of Charcot foot is based on three disputed factors: (1) loss of neurotrophic influence, (2) microtraumatic lesions, and (3) neurovascular disturbances. These etiological causes were uncovered by clinicophysiological tests. However, no results of quantitative nerve density studies of sympathetic and sensory substance P-positive (SP+) nerve fibers are available. We studied the density of sympathetic and SP+ nerve fibers in three distinct areas of the tarsus. Fifteen patients with ankle osteoarthritis (OA) and 15 patients with diabetic Charcot foot were included. Patients with OA did not differ from those with Charcot foot in SP+ sensory nerve fiber density. However, at all three areas, the density of sympathetic nerve fibers was significantly lower in patients with Charcot foot compared to OA (p = 0.006). In addition, we found that the sympathetic nerve repellent factor semaphorin 3C was highly expressed in inflamed tissue in Charcot patients. In Charcot foot of diabetic origin a severe loss of sympathetic nerve fibers was observed. These findings in chronically inflamed Charcot foot lend support to the neurovascular theory in the late chronic phase, which probably depends on the inflammatory upregulation of nerve repellent factors.