Abstract
The influence of high-heel footwear on the lumbar lordosis angle , anterior pelvic tilt , and sacral tilt are inconsistently described in the literature . This study aimed to investigate the impact of medium-height heeled footwear on the static posture parameters of homogeneous young adult standing women . Heel geometry , data acquisition process , as well as data analysis and parameter extraction stage , were controlled . Seventy-six healthy young adult women with experience in wearing high-heeled shoes were enrolled . Data of fifty-three subjects were used for analysis due to exclusion criteria ( scoliotic posture or missing measurement data ). A custom structured light surface topography measurement system was used for posture
parameters assessment . Three barefoot measurements were taken as a reference and tested for the reliability of the posture parameters . Two 30-degree wedges were used to imitate high-heel shoes to achieve a repeatable foot position . Our study confirmed the significant ( p < 0.001 ) reduced vertical balance angle and pelvis inclination angle with large and medium-to-large effects , respectively , due to high-heel shoes . No significant differences were found in the kyphosis or lordosis angles . High-heeled shoes of medium height in young asymptomatic women can lead to a straightening effect associated with a reduced vertical balance angle and decreased pelvic inclination .
Jakub Michoński , Marcin Witkowski , Bożena Glinkowska , Robert Sitnik , and Wojciech Glinkowski
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