ABSTRACT Background
High heel shoes ( HHS ) can affect human postural control because elevated heel height ( HH ) may result in plantar flexed foot and limit ankle joint range of motion during walking . Effects of HH and HHS wearing experience on postural stability during self-initiated and externally triggered perturbations are less examined in the literature . Hence , the objective of the present study is to investigate the influences of HH on human postural stability during dynamic perturbations , perceived stability , and functional mobility between inexperienced and experienced HHS wearers .
Methods
A total of 41 female participants were recruited ( 21 inexperienced HHS wearers and 20 experienced HHS wearers ). Sensory organization test ( SOT ), motor control test ( MCT ), and limits of stability ( LOS ) were conducted to measure participant ’ s postural stability by using computerized dynamic posturography . Functional reach test and timed up and go test were performed to measure functional mobility . The participants ’ self-perceived stability was assessed by visual analog scale . Four pairs of shoes with different HH ( i . e ., 0.8 , 3.9 , 7.0 , and 10.1 cm ) were applied to participants randomly . Repeated measures analysis of variance was conducted to detect the effects of HH and HHS wearing experience on each variable .
Results
During self-initiated perturbations , equilibrium score remarkably decreased when wearing 10.1 cm compared with flat shoes and 3.9 cm HHS . The contribution of vision to postural stability was larger in 10.1 cm HHS than in flat shoes . The use of ankle strategy worsened when HH increased to 7 cm . Similarly , the directional control of the center of gravity ( COG ) decreased for 7 cm HHS in LOS . Experienced wearers showed significantly higher percentage of ankle strategy and COG directional control than novices . Under externally triggered perturbations , postural stability was substantially decreased when HH reached 3.9 cm in MCT . No significant difference was found in experienced wearers compared with novices in MCT . Experienced wearers exhibited considerably better functional mobility and perceived stability with increased HH .
Conclusion
The use of HHS may worsen dynamic postural control and functional mobility when HH increases to 3.9 cm . Although experienced HHS wearers exhibit higher proportion of ankle strategy and COG directional control , the experience may not influence overall human postural control . Sensory organization ability , ankle strategy and COG directional control might provide useful information in developing a safety system and prevent HHS wearers from falling .
Current Pedorthics | January-February 2022 41