Evaluation of foot support in rugby players: a baropodometric analysis

Abstract

Intense sports practice has effects on normal locomotion which may predispose athletes to certain injuries. The aim of the study was to evaluate weather playing rugby can change the distribution of forces on the surface of the foot plantar region and if these possible changes are caused by the high loading and the postural stances that this sport involves. The evaluation was performed using a baropodometer in static and dynamic conditions. We studied a group of 23 professional rugby players (scrums and threequarters) who regularly trained 4-times per week. A control group consisted of 17 non-athletic healthy subjects. Baropodometric analysis revealed significantly higher rearfoot surface area and pressure for both feet in static conditions in rugby players compared to controls. In dynamic conditions, rugby players exerted a significantly higher ground pressure with respect to controls. Within the group of rugby players, scrums had significantly higher pressure than three-quarters, as well as a pressure increase in the lateral foot area. We conclude that rugby players tend to adopt an unbalanced posture posteriorly. The higher ground pressure together with the prevalent load on the lateral foot area may be associated with a difficult control of foot stability, possibly due to the higher body weight and to the increased tone and trophism of the triceps surae subsequent to the various athletic gestures that the game demands. In agreement with the literature, the variations of foot support observed in rugby players may be associated with adaptations induced by this sport, thus favoring an increased risk of bone, joint and muscle traumas and pathologies.

Effects of a dynamic balance training protocol on podalic support in older women. Pilot Study

“…The board contains 4800 platinum electronic sensors covered by an alveolar rubber captor, which sends pressure information from each foot to a computer. During the test, subjects stood on the platform in an orthostatic position for 10 seconds, as in the study of Ripani et al (20). The support surfaces of both feet and the percentage distribution of load in rearfoot and forefoot regions were evaluated.…”

Injury incidence and balance in rugby players

“…5 , 12 Ripani et al believed that the demands of rugby being faster with more attacking and collisions could attribute to higher risk for injury by the number eight players. 2 Brooks and Kemp reported that tackling and scrimmaging by the loose-head prop could account for more injuries in the neck region in players in this position. 6 The scrum-half reported more injuries in the lumbar spine sustained from passing the ball.…”

“…Rugby players tend to adopt an unbalanced posture posteriorly resulting in difficulty in controlling foot stability resulting in a high prevalence of lower limb specifically ankle injuries. 2 , 3 The control of static and dynamic balance requires a complex interplay between proprioceptive, vestibular and visual factors. Body load data revealed that high levels of gravitational force are sustained in tackling and scrum tasks.…”

“…Injury has been related to the nature of the sport, player position, and level of play. 2 , 4 Injuries involving the shoulder, knee, and ankle caused significant absence from play in forwards, compared to the back-line players whose absence from play was attributed to injuries in the shoulder, hamstrings, and knees. 6 The increasing emphasis on strengthening the core muscles not only to improve performance but also to reduce injuries has been welcomed by individuals participating in sports.…”

Buz hokeycilerde uzun süre paten kullanımının ayak tabanı basınç dağılımlarına etkisinin araştırılması

“…Ripani ve arkadaşları 23 profesyonel rugby oyuncusu ve 17 sağlıklı kişi üzerinde yaptıkları baropodometrik analizlerde, rugby oyuncularının sağlıklı kişilerle karşılaştırıldığında her iki ayak basınç alanı önemli derecede daha yüksek çıktığını açıklamışlardır (28). EMED-SF (Novel GmbH, Münih, Almanya) plantar basınç analiz sistemi kullanılarak yapılan benzer çalışmalarda ise 25 profesyonel basketbolcu ve kontrol grubu olarak 25 erkek gönüllü katıldığı, basketbolun ayak tabanı üzerine etkisinin araştırıldığı çalışmada sağ-sol ayak zirve basınç karşılaştırmasında basketbolcularda sağ ayak 1. metatars başı ve başparmağı küçük çıkarken, sağ ayak 4. metatars başı kontrol grubundan daha fazla olduğunu belirtilmiştir (29).…”