Normal foot--ground pressure pattern in children.

A modern measuring aid for recording foot--ground pressure (FGP) distribution was used to establish normal patterns in male and female children aged 4 to 6 years. Computer analysis demonstrated the pressure exerted by each part of the foot. Standing at ease, the child with a normal foot exerts most of his ground pressure by the posterior weight-bearing area (WBA). The rest is distributed between the middle and anterior WBAs, with the middle portion exerting no more than 10% of the total foot--ground pressure. The advantage of this measuring system is that once a normal FGP has been established, it can serve as an important diagnostic aid and an accurate guide for deciding on appropriate conservative or surgical treatment of the feet of young children.

FGP assessment of postural disorders during the process of rehabilitation.

Application of the newly developed footground pressure pattern (F.G.P.) method to a number of cranio-cerebral injured patients (C.C.I.) as well as to hemiplegics and normal subjects is made. The postural disorders in standing are assessed through modifications of the F.G.P. and different stages of the rehabilitation process may be followed up. Special parameters of the standing posture, which characterize its disorders, are presented; a diagonal pressure pattern is described. The visual qualitative analysis of the pressure pattern may also be directly useful in the physiotherapy treatment.