Does pes planus influence standing balance in elementary school-age children?

Abstract

Purpose: No any research in literature was found to investigate the effect of pes planus on standing balance in school-aged children. Any kind of change in the arches (height, flexibility) may increase the possibility of a change in standing balance. The aim of present study is to determine the influence of pes planus on the standing balance of school-aged children based on independent time-distance and frequency based parameters. Materials and Methods: Subjects included 177 children (105 neutral and 72 with pes planus). The parameters were determined from the motion of the centre of pressure (COP) on a platform equipped with pressure gauge sensors, on which the subjects were standing for 60 seconds with both feet and open eyes. Results: When comparing the neutral and pes planus groups, none of the 17 time-distance and frequency based parameters showed any significant difference (p≥0.169). Conclusion: The results show that pes planus does not affect significantly standing balance; the differences (however not significant) between the two groups showed a poorer postural control in school-aged children with pes planus. It may be compensated by the increased ML dimension of the base of support.