In a prospective study, quantitative measures of the structure of the longitudinal arch of the foot were established and related to the incidence of stress fractures in the bones of the lower limbs of military recruits. In addition, the role of a semirigid orthotic device (Langer military stress orthotic) in preventing stress fractures was evaluated as a function of the structure of the longitudinal arch. Femoral and tibial stress fractures were found to be more prevalent in the presence of feet with high arches, whereas the incidence of metatarsal fractures was higher in feet with low arches. The use of an orthotic device reduced the incidence of femoral stress fractures only in the presence of feet with high arches and the incidence of metatarsal fractures only among feet with low arches. The findings suggest that the normal foot with a low arch acts as a better shock absorber than the normal foot with a high arch, and that an orthotic device may improve the shock absorbing capacity of the arch.

A program of diverse and dynamic loading exercises of the distal forearm, a common site of osteoporotic fractures, was applied three times a week for 5 months to 14 postmenopausal osteoporotic women. Two parameters were used to assess the effect of the exercises on bone mass. The mass density of bone (g/cm3) was measured by the Compton scattering technique. The bone mineral content (g/cm2) was measured by single photon absorptiometry. Both measurements were taken at the same location in the distal radius 1 year prior to the exercise period, at its beginning, and at its end, in both the exercised group and a matched control group of 26 osteoporotic women. During the exercise period the mean bone density decreased by 1.9% in the control group whereas it increased by 3.8% in the exercise group. The bone mineral content results did not demonstrate any significant trend over the whole period of the study. It is concluded that the trabecular bone tissue in the distal radius of postmenopausal osteoporotic women responds favorably to dynamic and diverse bone stressing exercises even in the seventh decade of life.

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