Intrinsic pedal musculature support of the medial longitudinal arch: An electromyography study

Just came across this study from the recent Journal of Foot and Ankle Surgery:

The authors did this (I have edited the abstract for brevity):
Ten adults served as subjects. The height of the navicular tubercle above the floor was measured while subjects were seated with the foot in a subtalar neutral position and then when standing in a relaxed calcaneal stance. Recordings of muscle activity from the abductor hallucis muscle were performed while the subjects maintained a maximal voluntary contraction in a supine position by plantarflexing their great toes. An injection of lidocaine (1% with epinephrine) was then administered in the region of the tibial nerve, posterior and inferior to the medial malleolus. Measurements were repeated and compared by using a paired t test. After the nerve block, the muscle activity was 26.8% of the control condition (P = .011). This corresponded with an increase in navicular drop of 3.8 mm. (P = .022). The observation that navicular drop increased when the activity of the intrinsic muscles decreased indicates that the intrinsic pedal muscles play an important role in support of the medial longitudinal arch.

This will make a good study to give to the students ... notice anything wrong reaching the conclusion of indicates that the intrinsic pedal muscles play an important role in support of the medial longitudinal arch based on the methodology used? I have no doubt that the intrinsic muscles are important, but they do not even start contracting during gait until the heel begins to come of the ground - the study tested the intrinsic muscles with the heel on the ground ... to quote CK ... what say you?

Back to home