Background
foot joints
Intersegmental coordination within the foot is apparent in activities ranging from simple passive movement [While it is difficult to fully isolate the various factors contributing to foot coupling, systematically manipulating foot joints could further our understanding of foot mechanics. Previous studies manipulating MTP mechanics have been useful, but there are still gaps within this research. Kinetic coupling during heel raises [The purpose of this study was to probe the extent of coupling within the foot by systematically manipulating motion at the first MTP joint during overground walking. Specifically, we used a brace to restrict extension at the first MTP joint (henceforth referred to as MTP). We hypothesized that when the MTP joint was prevented from fully extending, the midtarsal joint would have less range of motion (ROM) compared to walking with normal MTP motion. Secondly, we hypothesized that negative MTP work and positive midtarsal work would both decrease when the MTP joint was prevented from fully extending compared to walking with normal MTP motion. In addition, we investigated accompanying changes to center of pressure (COP), joint moment, and segmental force, anticipating that these would provide some insights into the mechanisms and contributing factors important to this coupling.