Abstract

Background 

There are structural and functional changes in the foot and ankle as people age, and there is tentative evidence that foot issues affect balance and raise the risk of falling. We conducted a study to ascertain the relative contributions of various foot and ankle traits on performance on a variety of balance and functional tests in order to further examine this.

Methods 

The foot and ankle characteristics, sensorimotor function, balance, and functional ability of 176 residents of a retirement community (56 men and 120 women, mean age 80.1 years, standard deviation 6.4 years) were tested. The foot and ankle characteristics included foot posture, range of motion, strength, and deformity (including tests of standing balance, leaning balance, stepping, sit-to-stand, and walking speed).

Results 

In univariate analysis, a variety of foot and ankle traits as well as sensorimotor measurements were linked to success on the balance and functional tests. Ankle flexibility, plantar tactile sensitivity, and toe plantarflexor strength were repeatedly found through multiple regression analysis to be significant and independent predictors of balance and functional test performance, accounting for up to 59% of the variance in these test results.

Conclusions

Foot and ankle features, in particular ankle flexibility, plantar tactile sensitivity, and toe plantarflexor muscle strength, are significant independent predictors of balance and functional ability in older people. People may be able to move more freely and decrease their risk of falling if their plantar sensitivity is improved and their foot's flexibility and strength are increased.