Comparing the moment of the lower limb joints in one-leg landing skill between athletes with flexible flat feet and normal feet: A comparative descriptive study

Ilbegi, Saeed; Bahari Thani, Javad; Yousefi, Mohammad; Hoseinzadeh, Effat

doi:10.22084/rsr.2025.29495.1744

Comparing the moment of the lower limb joints in one-leg landing skill between athletes with flexible flat feet and normal feet: A comparative descriptive study

Document Type : Research Paper

Authors

Saeed Ilbegi ¹

Javad Bahari Thani ²

Mohammad Yousefi ³

Effat Hoseinzadeh ⁴

¹ Associate Professor in Sports Biomechanics, Faculty of Sports Sciences, University of Birjand, Birjand, Iran.

² Master's degree in Sports Biomechanics, Islamic Azad University of Ferdows, Iran.

³ Assistant Professor in Sports Biomechanics, Faculty of Sports Sciences, University of Birjand, Iran.

⁴ PhD in Sports Biomechanics, Faculty of Sports Sciences, University of Birjand, Birjand, Iran.

10.22084/rsr.2025.29495.1744

Abstract

Background and Aim: Flat feet are a common abnormality that can be a risk factor for acute and chronic lower limb injuries. The cause of injury in people with flat feet remains unknown. This research aims to compare the moment of lower limb joints in one-legged skill landing between athletes with flexible flat feet and normal feet.
Methods: Twenty male semi-professional futsal players (10 with flexible flat feet and 10 with normal feet) participated in this test. The height of the foot arch of these people was evaluated based on the Staheli index. the subjects performed the one-legged landing skill with the dominant leg from a step with a height of 30 cm Kiesler force plate and Vicon analyzer were used to record the required data. To compare the moment of the joints between the two groups, an independent t-test was used at a significance level of p≤0.05.
Results: The statistical results showed that the average moment of all three joints (ankle, knee, and hip) was higher in people with flexible flat feet than in people with normal feet, but this difference was not statistically significant in all three examined joints.
Conclusion: The lower extremity joint moments in semi-professional futsal players with flexible flat feet are likely not a threat for acute and chronic injuries. This is because the changes in muscle strength and other biomechanical factors due to participation in training programs lead to a compensatory activity that reduces the amount of impact forces applied to the body.

Keywords

Kinetic parameters

Lower limb joints

Landing

Flat feet

Subjects