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1. Bin Xia and John Robinson
   Nike Sport Research Lab, Beaverton, USA
   3D KINEMATIC EVALUATION OF FOOTWEAR STABILITY IN LATERAL MOVEMENTS
   
2. Simon J. Bartold
   University of South Australia, Adelaide, Australia.
   INJURY DRIVEN CHANGE TO THE FUNDAMENTAL DESIGN PARAMETERS OF THE AUSTRALIAN RULES FOOTBALL BOOT.
   
3. Timothy J. Eng & Jonathan B. Fewster
   NIKE Sport Research Lab, Beaverton, Oregon, USA
   GENDER, SIDE AND REGIONAL PRESSURE DIFFERENCES DURING SPIKING
   
4. Philippe Freychat
   Decathlon Production, R&D Footwear Department, Villeneuve d'Ascq, France
   FOREFOOT ABDUCTION IN VARIOUS SPORTS SITUATIONS AND ITS APPLICATION TO SPORT SHOE DESIGN.

Session 1: Impact
Session 2: Invited Speaker
Session 3: Insoles and Inserts
Session 4: Methods
Session 5:Clinical Aspects and Injury
Session 6:Sports
Session 7:Pressure Distribution
Session 8:Running and Running Shoes
Session 9: Structure and Function

  Footwear stability in sports such as basketball and tennis has been emphasized by some researchers because as many as 45% of all lower extremity injuries occur in the foot and ankle. Although rearfoot measurements have been examined in the past, forefoot motion is also important. The purpose of this research was to develop a three-dimensional evaluation protocol to measure stability of sports footwear during the execution of lateral movements.

A pair of prototype shoes were constructed by modifying a typical basketball shoe model, completely segmenting outsole and midsole and only bonding the outsole and midsole components to the uppers at the perimeter. A pair of unmodified basketball shoes were used as a control. The prototype shoes were subjectively evaluated as more unstable than the control shoes. Kinematic parameters were compared as subjects completed shuffle maneuvers wearing the unstable prototype shoes and the control shoes. Rearfoot inversion range was significantly less in the unstable prototype shoes (range of motion: 24.2±1.6° vs. 31.7±1.4°). Shoe torsion and forefoot position in the lab coordinate system during the support phase (defined as 20%-80% of foot contact phase) were identified as additional factors to describe lateral stability. The prototype shoes showed larger shoe torsion (root mean square: 23.0±1.3° vs. 6.9±1.2°) between forefoot and rearfoot. Also, the forefoot of the prototype shoes rotated more than the control shoes in the lab coordinate system (mean: -3.35±3.9° vs. 3.56±2.9°). It is concluded that, when evaluating stability of basketball and tennis footwear, in addition to rearfoot motion, shoe torsion and forefoot position in the lab coordinate system should also be examined.

 The direct cost to the Australian community of injury through sport is approximately $298 million. Of this over one third can be attributed to Australian Rules Football (Eggar 1992). As a result of this study a need was identified to change the long standing design of the Australian Football boot. Prior to any fundamental design change an extensive needs survey of the sport was undertaken, examining:

- the demands of the game and the changes occurring over the past 10 years
- the injury patterns of the game
- the players
- the coaches
- the medical staff
- the current footwear.

The Game

Australian Rules Football is a unique sport with many features that considerably increase the risk of injury to the athlete.

Football is primarily a speed sport with players averaging 25-30 kilometres per game. The game is divided into four "quarters" with a short break between each "quarter". The level and intensity of activity is therefore arguably the greatest of any weightbearing sport. It involves sudden, short changes in direction and cutting manouvres. Most players are of high body mass and therefore the risk and indeed incidence of anterior cruciate ligament injury is amongst the highest for any sport in the world. The cleat or "sprig" pattern has been implicated as a possible contributor to this high A.C.L. injury rate by reducing the release rate of the boot from the playing surface and therefore allowing unacceptable torque to be transmitted to the knee joint.

The game also involves kicking the ball distances of 60 metres or more with a very high degree of accuracy and jumping to catch the ball.

Football is a winter sport and is often played in very wet conditions.

As a result of this study radical changes to boot design have been implemented. These changes are expected to have a measurable effect on the incidence of injury in the sport.

This paper outlines the results of the study and the changes to Australian Rules Football Boot design. The changes are expected to have a flow-through effect to other sports, especially soccer and rugby.

Plantar pressure magnitudes and patterns were quantified using the FScan system while experienced subjects (6 male, 6 female) performed maximal effort volleyball spikes. During jumping, males exerted greater loads resulting in higher jump heights. Between gender and sides, peak pressure differences were found in the toe region, suggesting that males and females may have oriented themselves differently with respect to the ball. While jumping, greater loads occurred under the right foot, the side ipsilateral to the spiking arm. The peak pressure location was more lateral for the right midfoot region for both jumping and landing. During landing, males developed higher peak loads, peak pressures and contact area in the rearfoot, indicating a different strategy possibly due to landing from a higher height. Gender differences suggest that future experimental designs should maintain gender as an independent variable or, at the very least, research should be conducted separately for males and females. Results show that there are laterality differences during a two-footed spike takeoff. The spiking arm side represents the worst-case scenario (highest loads and/or pressures). Regional differences suggest that dividing data into the toe, forefoot, midfoot, and rearfoot regions can yield valuable information, especially with respect to the interactions between region and either gender or side.

The purpose of this study was to quantify forefoot abduction and its change during current sport situations. Three set of footprints were independently recorded by means of a photosensitive paper, in the following conditions: Walking (30 subjects, uphill, level and downhill walking with a 15 kg backpack loading), Running (20 subjects, after 10', 20' and 30' of level running) and Jumping (30 subjects, take-off, landing and side-shuffle). Static footprints were also recorded for each subject.

Three experimenters measured the angle between the rearfoot and the forefoot, separately from each set of footprints. Intra and extra-experimenters variability was previously controled respectively at 1.4° (from 1.1° to 1.6°) and 1.2° (from 2.3° to 3.5°).

Significant changes in rearfoot/forefoot angle were observed between static and other dynamic footprints (from -6.0°±5.0° during take-off, to 4.3°±5.5° during side-shuffle). Asymetries were constantly observed between the right and the left foot (from 3.3° to 5.5°).

These results suggest that forefoot abduction changes significantly between static and dynamic sports situations. Such mobility between the rearfoot and the forefoot may affect the shape of the foot and its fitting with the sport shoe. An innovative shoe design has been validated to adapt the shape of the shoe to the dynamic change of the foot.