The effects of individually designed insoles on pes planus treatment.

The aim of this study was to examine the effects of individually designed insole in pes planus treatment. Designed insoles was adjusted according to height, length and function of the sole of each participant with pes planus in order to improve the physical parameters of them. A total of 34 participants (17 males and 17 females) with pes planus participated in the study. Height, weight, percent body fat, 30-m sprint test, vertical jump, 12-min Cooper test and Visual Analog Scale (VAS) measurement were obtained before the study and after 1 year later. Wilcoxon signed rank test was conducted to examine whether there were any differences between the pre- and post-test measurements. It was determined that individually designed insoles reduced body weight and BMI, made positive improvements in 30-m speed, vertical jump and 12-min Cooper scores, and significant decrease in VAS scores. In conclusion, it is seen that individually designed insoles have beneficial role in normalizing forces acting on the foot and improve the physical performance parameters of individuals with pes planus. Future studies are needed to explore the long-term effects of individually designed insoles and prefabricated insoles.

The clinical effects of somatotype difference on isokinetic knee muscle strength and dynamic balance scores.

OBJECTIVES: The aim of this study was to present the somatotype features of young individuals without any symptoms and to identify whether isokinetic knee muscle strength and dynamic balance scores are affected by somatotype difference. PATIENTS AND METHODS: A total of 146 participants (88 males, 58 females; mean age 22.5±1.9 years; range 19 to 28 years) who had no symptoms were included in this study. Somatotypes of the participants were calculated using the Heath-Carter formula, and anthropometric measurements were taken from each participant. Knee flexion and extension muscle strengths at angular speeds of 90°/sec, 120°/sec and 150°/ sec were measured from the dominant and non-dominant limbs of the participants. Total balance, anterior/posterior balance, and medial/ lateral measurements were made to evaluate dynamic balance performances. RESULTS: Six different somatotypes were found. Endomorphic mesomorph was the most common somatotype in 56 participants. There was no significant somatotype difference in men and women for dominant and non-dominant knee extension and flexion peak strength values at angular speeds of 90°/sec, 120°/sec and 150°/sec (p>0.05). No significant difference was found between the balance scores of men and women who had different somatotypes (p>0.05). CONCLUSION: Anatomic structure of the body, which is suitable for the sports branch, has an increasing effect on performance.