Journal of Foot and Ankle Research最新文献

{"title":"'I Didn't Know, I Definitely Guessed.' Exploring Pre-Registration Podiatry Students' Approach to Identifying Dermatological Conditions in Different Skin Tones, a Mixed Methods Study.","authors":"Simon Otter, Faye Funnell, Alex Sykes, Kerry Ewins-Strowger, Nadine Hemming, Deborah Whitham","doi":"10.1002/jfa2.70144","DOIUrl":"10.1002/jfa2.70144","url":null,"abstract":"<p><strong>Background: </strong>Research suggests that healthcare professionals find it more difficult to correctly diagnose dermatological conditions in the nonwhite patient demographic. People of colour experience higher rates of delayed and misdiagnosis, contributing to an increased mortality risk and increased health inequalities that remain widespread throughout the health care setting. This study aimed to investigate podiatry student's ability, confidence, approaches and perceptions in diagnosing dermatology pathologies in different skin tones.</p><p><strong>Methods: </strong>A mixed methods explanatory sequential design was undertaken with pre-registration podiatry students from universities across South-central England. Participants completed a validated pictorial multiple-choice questionnaire comprising six images of either eczema or psoriasis in three different skin tone categories: light, medium or dark. Results were used to inform focus groups and a process of thematic analysis explored participants perceptions surrounding their diagnostic approaches and underpinning confidence.</p><p><strong>Results: </strong>The medium skin tone (Fitzpatrick groups III/IV) was associated with the most correct responses for psoriasis (69%) followed by light skin tone (Fitzpatrick groups I/II) with 48%. Psoriasis in darker skin tones (Fitzpatrick groups V/VI) received the least correct responses (3%). In eczema, results were more evenly spread with darker skin tones (Fitzpatrick groups V/VI), receiving a slightly higher percentage of correct diagnoses (39%). Qualitative analysis revealed two emergent themes: (i) reports on confidence and apprehension and (ii) limitations in education provision: each with a series of sub-themes. Participants reported barriers to their diagnostic ability included an underrepresentation of dark skin tones in medical images and inadequate exposure to pathology on patients with dark skin tones.</p><p><strong>Conclusions: </strong>There was a notable lack of confidence in participants' ability to correctly diagnose dermatological pathology, particularly in dark skin tones. This study addresses the research gap in podiatric health inequalities and pinpoints the associated educational shortcomings from the podiatry education perspective.</p>","PeriodicalId":49164,"journal":{"name":"Journal of Foot and Ankle Research","volume":"19 2","pages":"e70144"},"PeriodicalIF":2.3,"publicationDate":"2026-06-01","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC13052160/pdf/","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"147610350","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":3,"RegionCategory":"医学","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"OA","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}

{"title":"Menopause and Plantar Heel Pain: Findings From a Series of Focus Groups Exploring Lived Experience.","authors":"Matthew Douglas-Harris, Richard Wilkins, Jayasree Ramaskandhan, Jagjit Mankelow, Helen Branthwaite","doi":"10.1002/jfa2.70154","DOIUrl":"10.1002/jfa2.70154","url":null,"abstract":"<p><strong>Background: </strong>Plantar heel pain (PHP) is a debilitating problem disproportionately affecting women between the age of 40 and 60 at twice the rate of men, coinciding with perimenopause and menopause. Whether a causative relationship exists is uncertain, but their concurrence presents challenges for both patients and healthcare providers.</p><p><strong>Aim: </strong>To conduct focus groups to understand people's perception of menopause and PHP. The primary objective was to identify whether people with experience of PHP and menopause or their healthcare providers, thought their PHP was related to menopausal status. The secondary objective was to find out if this population thought this was an important area of research and what the barriers may be for further investigation.</p><p><strong>Methods: </strong>Following National Institute for Health and Care Research (NIHR) guidance on 'co-producing a research project', 17 participants were invited via VOICE GLOBAL public engagement UK platform to take part in focus groups with 5-6 participants in each session. Participants self-identified as having experienced PHP and were either perimenopausal or postmenopausal. Each group was asked if they felt that there was an association between PHP and menopausal status; if a link between menopause and PHP was made by their healthcare provider; if research in this area was important and what the barriers may be to further investigation in this area.</p><p><strong>Results: </strong>Of the 17 participants, 76% did not initially perceive that there to be an association between menopause and PHP and reported that it was not mentioned in their healthcare consultations when they sought help. Some felt stigma remained around the menopause, particularly in ethnic minority communities, and that this may be a barrier to further research. Participants unanimously felt that this was an area that needed more investigation, with improved awareness on the part of healthcare providers being particularly important.</p><p><strong>Conclusions: </strong>Participants felt the relationship between menopause and PHP requires further investigation, with a focus on understanding the level of awareness of association among healthcare professionals and patients. The implementation of any findings needs to consider ethnic and cultural barriers, and those that may be present in a primary care setting.</p>","PeriodicalId":49164,"journal":{"name":"Journal of Foot and Ankle Research","volume":"19 2","pages":"e70154"},"PeriodicalIF":2.3,"publicationDate":"2026-06-01","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC13240033/pdf/","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"148145152","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":3,"RegionCategory":"医学","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"OA","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}

{"title":"Australian Podiatry Research in Workforce and Education: A Bibliometric Analysis.","authors":"Malia Ho, Peta Tehan, Matthew R Carroll, Cylie Williams","doi":"10.1002/jfa2.70168","DOIUrl":"10.1002/jfa2.70168","url":null,"abstract":"<p><strong>Background: </strong>To conduct a bibliographic analysis of English language research pertaining to podiatry workforce and education by Australian authors.</p><p><strong>Methods: </strong>The Scopus database search was conducted to identify all Australian workforce and education-related articles published by podiatric authors in English from 1970 to 2024. Bibliometric analysis was performed using Biblioshiny, a web-based graphical interface for the bibliometric R package. Citations, journals, authors, institutions, and countries were described. Publications were manually categorised according to research type, level of evidence and funding source.</p><p><strong>Results: </strong>The search strategy yielded 105 eligible articles, which received a total of 975 citations and were published by 338 authors in 33 journals. The most frequent journal was Journal of Foot and Ankle Research (34 articles; 32%), and the most frequently cited was the University of South Australia (affiliation of 85 authors). Most Australian workforce and education articles published by podiatrists focused on health and social care services research (n = 60; 57%) and only five articles (5%) provided level I evidence. Fifty-six articles (53%) reported no research funding. Research generally fell under four themes.</p><p><strong>Conclusion: </strong>Workforce and education research make up a small percentage of podiatry-related research. Most are published in low-impact journals with low citations. The articles are highly collaborative, with multiple authors nationally and internationally. Studies are driven by academics with a vested interest in workforce and education issues, with little or no funding. There is a lack of research in continuing professional development educational activities and workforce in the private sector. Being a small profession, podiatry data may be missed in large allied health workforce studies. Podiatry workforce and education research must be driven by the profession, thereby creating opportunities for sustainable podiatry career growth.</p>","PeriodicalId":49164,"journal":{"name":"Journal of Foot and Ankle Research","volume":"19 2","pages":"e70168"},"PeriodicalIF":2.3,"publicationDate":"2026-06-01","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC13239060/pdf/","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"148151172","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":3,"RegionCategory":"医学","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"OA","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}

{"title":"Australian Podiatry Research in Gerontology: A Bibliometric Analysis.","authors":"Hylton B Menz, Ameer Nor Azhar, Shan M Bergin, Peta E Tehan, Matthew R Carroll","doi":"10.1002/jfa2.70158","DOIUrl":"10.1002/jfa2.70158","url":null,"abstract":"<p><strong>Background: </strong>To conduct a bibliographic analysis of English language research pertaining to gerontology by Australian resea.</p><p><strong>Methods: </strong>A Scopus database search was conducted to identify all Australian gerontology articles published by podiatric authors in English from 1970 to 2024. Bibliometric analysis was performed using an open-source tool based on the R language. Citations, journals, authors, institutions, and countries were described. Publications were manually categorised according to research type, level of evidence and funding source.</p><p><strong>Results: </strong>The search strategy yielded 81 eligible articles, which received a total of 5024 citations and were published by 174 authors in 39 journals. The most frequent journal was Gait and Posture (12 articles; 15%), and the most published institution was La Trobe University (affiliation of 102 authors). Most of the Australian gerontology articles published by podiatrists focussed on aetiology (n = 48; 59%) and only six articles (7%) provided level I evidence. Thirty articles (37%) reported no research funding.</p><p><strong>Conclusion: </strong>Gerontology remains an underrepresented focus within Australian podiatry research. Despite attracting relatively high citation rates, this field suffers from chronic underfunding and limited research capacity. Investing in dedicated funding and expanding the gerontology research workforce within podiatry is essential to drive innovation, address the growing needs of an ageing population, and strengthen the evidence base for clinical care.</p>","PeriodicalId":49164,"journal":{"name":"Journal of Foot and Ankle Research","volume":"19 2","pages":"e70158"},"PeriodicalIF":2.3,"publicationDate":"2026-06-01","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC13128526/pdf/","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"147787021","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":3,"RegionCategory":"医学","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"OA","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}

{"title":"Plantar Heel Pain Is Not Associated With Fatty Infiltration of the Abductor Digiti Minimi Muscle on Magnetic Resonance Imaging: A Cross-Sectional Observational Study.","authors":"John S C Chen, John W A Osborne, Hylton B Menz, Mandy Abbott, Shannon E Munteanu, Tom Entwisle, David A Connell, Karl B Landorf","doi":"10.1002/jfa2.70155","DOIUrl":"10.1002/jfa2.70155","url":null,"abstract":"<p><strong>Background: </strong>Fatty infiltration, or fatty atrophy, of the abductor digiti minimi (ADM) muscle of the foot is proposed to be associated with entrapment of the first branch of the lateral plantar nerve (i.e., Baxter's neuropathy) as part of plantar heel pain (PHP). However, this association has not been rigorously investigated. The aim of this study was to determine if there is an association between PHP and fatty infiltration of ADM.</p><p><strong>Methods: </strong>This cross-sectional observational study compared 50 participants with PHP to a control group of 25 participants without PHP who were matched at recruitment for age (± 5 years), sex and body mass index (BMI) (± 10%). Fatty infiltration of ADM was assessed on all participants using magnetic resonance imaging (MRI). Prior to assessment, four grading scales of fatty infiltration were investigated for reliability by two independent assessors using Kappa or weighted Kappa and the most reliable scale was chosen for the primary data analysis. Following this, participant characteristics were compared between the PHP and the no-PHP groups using Chi-squared, Mann-Whitney U or independent samples t-tests to ensure there were no significant differences between the two groups in characteristics that could have confounded the findings. The association between PHP and fatty infiltration was analysed using the Chi-square test (χ²).</p><p><strong>Results: </strong>In the PHP and no-PHP groups, respectively, the mean age was 49.1 and 48.9 years, women comprised 58% and 56%, and the mean BMI was 30.6 and 30.2 kg/m². A four-point grading scale was found to be the most reliable scale (0.87 and 0.92 for inter- and intra-rater reliability, respectively). There were no significant differences (p > 0.05) for important participant characteristics (e.g., age, sex and BMI). There was some fatty infiltration (grades 1-3) in 78% and 96% of participants in the PHP and no-PHP groups respectively. No significant association was found (χ² = 6.176, df = 3, p = 0.103) between PHP and fatty infiltration according to the four-point grading scale.</p><p><strong>Conclusions: </strong>After accounting for age, sex and BMI, there was no association between PHP and fatty infiltration of ADM. These findings suggest that adults with PHP do not have a greater predisposition for or amount of fatty infiltration of ADM compared to adults without PHP. Therefore, fatty infiltration of ADM is likely to be an incidental finding on MRI rather than a diagnostic sign of PHP, where Baxter's neuropathy may be present. Accordingly, clinicians should not focus on fatty infiltration of ADM on MRI to diagnose Baxter's neuropathy, or view it as a proxy marker, particularly when surgery for PHP is being considered.</p>","PeriodicalId":49164,"journal":{"name":"Journal of Foot and Ankle Research","volume":"19 2","pages":"e70155"},"PeriodicalIF":2.3,"publicationDate":"2026-06-01","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC13110057/pdf/","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"147786992","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":3,"RegionCategory":"医学","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"OA","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}

{"title":"Development and Validation of an Algorithm to Objectively Quantify Adherence to Offloading Interventions.","authors":"Sai V Yalla, Sanam N Jhaveri, Nahir S Negron-Fernandez, Ryan T Crews, Noah J Rosenblatt","doi":"10.1002/jfa2.70170","DOIUrl":"10.1002/jfa2.70170","url":null,"abstract":"<p><strong>Background: </strong>Diabetic foot ulcers require offloading for healing. However, adherence with removable offloading devices is often poor. Prior objective measures of adherence yielded important behavioral insights, despite substantial methodological limitations. This study sought to address these limitations by developing a method to track offloading adherence during walking and standing paired with tracking contralateral therapeutic footwear (shoe-lift) use.</p><p><strong>Methods: </strong>Thirty healthy adults wore a removable cast walker (RCW) and contralateral shoe-lift. Accelerometers were placed on both and unilaterally on participants' thighs. Participants performed activities in the laboratory that were logged by investigators, after which monitoring continued for 24 h with participants logging footwear use in a diary. Walking and standing episodes were quantified via the thigh worn monitor. A custom algorithm was developed to classify RCW and shoe-lift adherence during walking and standing based on sample-to-sample variance thresholds. Algorithm accuracy was determined by comparing its adherence metrics with log entries.</p><p><strong>Results: </strong>The final algorithm resulted in > 99% accuracy in detecting steps and standing while using the RCW and shoe-lift during in-lab testing. In 24-h, community monitoring, algorithm-derived adherence showed excellent agreement with diary-based adherence (ICC > 0.96, p < 0.01). Error rates (misclassifications) were < 3%.</p><p><strong>Conclusion: </strong>A method to objectively quantify RCW and contralateral shoe-lift adherence use was developed and validated. Strong agreement with lab observations and user diaries support its use for monitoring real-world offloading behavior. This method will allow for enhanced assessments of adherence in future trials and may eventually be incorporated into clinical practice for patient monitoring.</p>","PeriodicalId":49164,"journal":{"name":"Journal of Foot and Ankle Research","volume":"19 2","pages":"e70170"},"PeriodicalIF":2.3,"publicationDate":"2026-06-01","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC13239197/pdf/","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"148158459","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":3,"RegionCategory":"医学","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"OA","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}

{"title":"Prevalence and Severity of Self-Assessed Hallux Valgus in Community-Dwelling Older South African and Flemish Individuals.","authors":"Marise Carina Breet, Benedicte Vanwanseele, Hylton B Menz, Tonya M Esterhuizen, Ranel Venter","doi":"10.1002/jfa2.70173","DOIUrl":"10.1002/jfa2.70173","url":null,"abstract":"<p><strong>Introduction: </strong>Hallux valgus (HV) is a common foot deformity in older adults, frequently associated with pain and functional impairment. Global prevalence is estimated at 19%, although it varies by continent; consequently, there is a notable knowledge gap concerning its prevalence and severity in older populations of South Africa and Belgium. This study aimed to compare HV prevalence and severity, report on footwear habits within these cohorts, and examine associations with sex, age, and body mass index (BMI).</p><p><strong>Methods: </strong>This observational cross-sectional study recruited 300 community-dwelling adults aged ≥ 60 years from Flanders, Belgium (n = 145) and the Western Cape, South Africa (n = 155). Demographic data, footwear habits, and HV self-assessment scores (using the Manchester scale) were collected via an online questionnaire. Associations between HV and other variables were examined using chi-square tests.</p><p><strong>Results: </strong>HV prevalence was 27.6% in the Flemish cohort and 31.6% in the South African cohort. Although South Africans reported more frequent barefootedness, HV prevalence rates remained similar. HV prevalence was significantly higher in females (35.4%) compared to males (17.0%). Furthermore, prevalence and severity increased with age but were inversely associated with BMI.</p><p><strong>Conclusion: </strong>HV prevalence is similar in older South African and Flemish individuals, despite differing footwear habits, supporting the multifactorial nature of HV formation. These findings emphasize the need for region-specific data and clinical strategies to address HV in older populations.</p>","PeriodicalId":49164,"journal":{"name":"Journal of Foot and Ankle Research","volume":"19 2","pages":"e70173"},"PeriodicalIF":2.3,"publicationDate":"2026-06-01","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC13240344/pdf/","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"148151360","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":3,"RegionCategory":"医学","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"OA","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}

{"title":"One Shoe Doesn't Fit All: A Contextual Approach to Therapeutic Footwear for People at Risk of Diabetes-Related Foot Ulceration.","authors":"Gustav Jarl, Peter A Lazzarini, Gulapar Srisawasdi, Jaap J van Netten","doi":"10.1002/jfa2.70176","DOIUrl":"10.1002/jfa2.70176","url":null,"abstract":"<p><strong>Introduction: </strong>People at risk of diabetes-related foot ulcers are recommended to always use therapeutic footwear when weight-bearing, to help prevent ulcers. These recommendations are supported by good quality evidence, yet adherence by patients to using this footwear is low. One reason may be because these recommendations do not consider that footwear use is highly contextual to the physical or sociocultural environments it is intended to be used. In this paper, we propose and discuss a contextual approach to considering therapeutic footwear solutions.</p><p><strong>Contextual approach to therapeutic footwear: </strong>Recommending patients to use the same therapeutic footwear solution in vastly different contexts seems at odds with person-centred care principles and is likely a reason for patients not fully adhering to such recommendations. We discuss seven contexts in which using therapeutic footwear is particularly challenging: the home, workplaces, social occasions, places-of-worship, water-related activities, hotter climates and holidays. We outline how a contextual approach to therapeutic footwear might lead to more appropriate footwear solutions. This approach typically involves a trade-off between functional benefits and adherence and may lead to novel designs for different contexts. We also propose six different footwear solutions that incorporate features that may be more aesthetically pleasing, cooler, lighter, cheaper or waterproof, yet still providing protection and functional offloading. We suggest outcomes of such an approach may be more favourable for the patient's overall adherence and foot health than the current somewhat unrealistic recommended practice of prescribing a \"one shoe fits all\" solution.</p><p><strong>Conclusion: </strong>A contextual approach as proposed in this paper may lead to novel therapeutic footwear solutions that better address patients' needs for adequate footwear. If these footwear solutions are implemented, this may in future lead to higher patient adherence to using appropriate footwear and lower ulceration rates.</p>","PeriodicalId":49164,"journal":{"name":"Journal of Foot and Ankle Research","volume":"19 2","pages":"e70176"},"PeriodicalIF":2.3,"publicationDate":"2026-06-01","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC13275332/pdf/","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"148272988","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":3,"RegionCategory":"医学","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"OA","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}

{"title":"The Effect of Limited Ankle Dorsiflexion During Emergency Stop-Jump Movements on Lower Limb Biomechanics.","authors":"Yijing Zhou, Nan Yang, Qiaoqiao Wang, Yuan Wu, Haitao Shi, Si Zhang, Shuang Ren, Hongshi Huang","doi":"10.1002/jfa2.70165","DOIUrl":"10.1002/jfa2.70165","url":null,"abstract":"<p><strong>Objective: </strong>The stop-jump task is a key movement in sports such as basketball and volleyball, with landing biomechanics closely linked to injury risk. Restricted ankle dorsiflexion (DF) alters lower-extremity mechanics and increases the risk of lower-limb joint injuries; however, its effects on the full stop-jump cycle remain unclear. This study examined how restricted DF influences lower-extremity biomechanics during the stop-jump task and explored the mechanisms underlying a stiff landing strategy and its potential injury risks.</p><p><strong>Methods: </strong>Participants underwent static ankle dorsiflexion range of motion (DF ROM) testing and functional squat assessment. Eligible participants completed walking and stop-jump tasks, with biomechanical data collected synchronously using motion capture and force plates. Based on peak ankle dorsiflexion angle during walking, 44 participants were categorized into restricted (RADF, n = 22) and unrestricted (unRADF, n = 22) groups. Group differences in lower-extremity biomechanics across stop-jump phases were analyzed using ANCOVA with sex as a covariate, with post hoc power reported.</p><p><strong>Results: </strong>The RADF group demonstrated significantly greater peak vertical ground reaction force (GRF) and posterior loading rates (LRs) compared with the unRADF group (p < 0.05). During the horizontal landing phase, ankle plantarflexion and internal rotation angles were significantly increased in the RADF group (p < 0.05). At the moment of peak GRF during the vertical landing phase, the RADF group exhibited significantly reduced ankle dorsiflexion angle (p < 0.001) and significantly greater knee abduction angle (p < 0.05). Additionally, leg stiffness was significantly higher in the RADF group during this phase (p < 0.05).</p><p><strong>Conclusion: </strong>Individuals with restricted DF adopt a stiff landing strategy during stop-jump, with increased impact loads and abnormal joint kinetics that may impair shock absorption and elevate lower-extremity injury risk.</p>","PeriodicalId":49164,"journal":{"name":"Journal of Foot and Ankle Research","volume":"19 2","pages":"e70165"},"PeriodicalIF":2.3,"publicationDate":"2026-06-01","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC13264452/pdf/","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"148254131","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":3,"RegionCategory":"医学","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"OA","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}

{"title":"The Association Between Self-Perceptions of Ageing and Foot and Lower-Limb Health in Community-Dwelling Older Adults.","authors":"Prue Molyneux, Ella Bloomfield, Miles Broderick, Sarah Stewart","doi":"10.1002/jfa2.70172","DOIUrl":"10.1002/jfa2.70172","url":null,"abstract":"<p><strong>Background: </strong>Self-perceptions of ageing have an important influence on the physical function in later life, yet little is known about how these perceptions relate to foot and lower limb health. Exploring how self-perceptions of ageing interact with subjective reports of foot health as well as objective measures such as lower limb joint movement, muscle strength and functional mobility may provide important insights to support more person-centred and responsive models of care. This study aimed to determine the association between self-perceptions of ageing and subjective and objective measures of foot and lower limb health in older adults.</p><p><strong>Methods: </strong>This cross-sectional study included 40 community-dwelling adults ≥ 65 years who completed the five subscales of the Brief Ageing Perceptions Questionnaire (B-APQ) alongside patient-reported outcomes (100 mm Visual Analogue Scale [VAS] for foot pain, Manchester Foot Pain and Disability Index [MFPDI] and Lower Limb Task Questionnaire [LLTQ]). Objective assessments of joint range of motion, foot and ankle muscle strength and functional mobility tasks (timed up and go [TUG] and Short Physical Performance Battery [SPPB]) were also conducted. B-APQ subscale scores were direction-aligned so that higher scores reflect more negative ageing perceptions. Relationships between B-APQ subscales and foot and lower limb outcomes were modelled using linear regression. All models were adjusted for key clinical and demographic confounders. Omnibus block tests evaluated the joint contribution of the five B-APQ subscales.</p><p><strong>Results: </strong>The B-APQ dimension block showed no evidence of association with foot pain (VAS, MFPDI). The B-APQ block was associated with plantarflexion and inversion strength, with more adverse beliefs about consequences/low control (consequences-control negative) and lower perceived control (control-positive) associated with weaker strength. Consequences-control negative was also associated with slower TUG, whereas SPPB total and joint motion showed no evidence of association.</p><p><strong>Conclusion: </strong>Associations between self-perceptions of ageing and lower limb function and mobility appear dimension-specific with beliefs about adverse consequences and perceived control most consistently related to neuromuscular strength and mobility, rather than pain. Interventions combining progressive strengthening with strategies addressing specific ageing-belief dimensions, may support mobility in older adults.</p>","PeriodicalId":49164,"journal":{"name":"Journal of Foot and Ankle Research","volume":"19 2","pages":"e70172"},"PeriodicalIF":2.3,"publicationDate":"2026-06-01","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC13246324/pdf/","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"148206682","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":3,"RegionCategory":"医学","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"OA","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}