The Foot
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The use of orthotic heel lifts is proposed in many cases of Achilles tendon disorders as a first-line or conservative treatment. The use of heeled shoes induces a plantar flexion of the ankle joint with a consequent decrease in the tension forces acting onto the triceps surae. The question to address is how high must the heel be? Gait cycle using 1 cm- and 2 cm-high heel lifts was examined. ⋯ A very significant decrease (p=0.0001) was found in the amplitude of the curve expressing the force produced by the whole limb in response to ground reaction forces. This is expressed by a decrease in minimum values, suggesting a lower degree of energy absorption at heel strike, as well as maximum values reflecting the amount of energy generated at push off. This might suggest that by reducing energy absorption by the whole limb a 2-cm heel lift would have a protective effect for those muscles that are most significantly involved in this function, such as the tibiotarsal complex (triceps surae) and the knee complex (rectus femoris).
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Ankle and foot injuries are common in professional soccer players, but the relation among diagnosis, severity and time lost from play is not well known. ⋯ Time lost to play can dramatically increase by the presence of severe ankle and foot injuries. Serious ankle and foot injuries in this study resulted in players being out of professional competition for about 2 months.