NCT06548750

Foot Muscle Strengthening Exercises for Pes Planovalgus

Intrinsic vs Combined Foot Muscle Strengthening for Pes Planovalgus in Preschoolers: A Randomized Controlled Trial

• Status: Completed
• Phase: N/A
• Study type: Interventional
• Enrollment: 32 (actual)
• Sponsor: Istanbul University - Cerrahpasa · Academic / Other
• Sex: All
• Age: 4 Years – 7 Years
• Healthy volunteers: Not accepted

Summary

Pes planovalgus is a common foot condition affecting the child population. It is characterized by the partial or complete collapse of the medial longitudinal arch with rearfoot eversion and forefoot abduction, which is associated with changes in lower extremity kinematics during dynamic activity. The lower extremity chain includes the foot, ankle, knee, and hip joints, with the feet acting as the base of support. However, due to their small size, maintaining balance can be challenging. Any small dynamic change in the foot, as the support base, can impact overall body posture. The foot arch, which can be pronated or supinated, affects proprioceptive input by altering joint movement, contact area, and muscle strategy for stability. Pes planovalgus, characterized by excessive subtalar pronation, lead to instability and hypermobility, requiring more neuromuscular control to maintain balance. As a result, flat feet can cause pathomechanical issues and compensatory actions in the lower extremity chain, affecting overall body balance. The effectiveness of exercise interventions, particularly foot intrinsic muscle strengthening exercises, in increasing the medial longitudinal arch in individuals with pes planus has been investigated in numerous studies. It is widely accepted that both intrinsic and extrinsic muscle groups play a crucial role in the formation, maintenance, and enhancement of foot arches. However, there is a lack of studies specifically examining the effectiveness of exercises aimed at strengthening these muscles in children with pes planovalgus. Therefore, the purpose of this study is to compare the effects of two corrective exercise programs focused on the improvement of the medial longitudinal arch in children with pes planovalgus: one incorporating routine intrinsic muscle exercises and the other combining them with extrinsic muscle exercises.

Detailed description

Voluntary children who have been diagnosed with pes planovalgus will be included in the study. Signed voluntary consent will be obtained from caregivers. Participants will be divided into two groups. Study groups will be as follows: a) Intervention Group (Intrinsic\&Extrinsic Exercise), b) Control Group (Intrinsic Exercise).

Conditions

• Pes Planus

Interventions

Type	Name	Description
OTHER	Intrinsic and Ectrinsic Exercise	Intrinsic and extrinsic muscle strengthening exercises
OTHER	Intrinsic Exercise	Intrinsic muscle strengthening exercises

Timeline

• Start date: 2024-09-02
• Primary completion: 2025-01-15
• Completion: 2025-02-05
• First posted: 2024-08-12
• Last updated: 2025-08-13

Locations

1 site across 1 country: Turkey (Türkiye)