Abstract:

BACKGROUND: In the early childhood, different forms and weights of schoolbag loading would cause gait deformation.
OBJECTIVE: To test dynamic foot pressure during schoolbag weight walk of children.
METHODS: The dynamic foot pressure of 24 healthy school age children was analyzed by the Footscan USB2 system (RSscan, Belgium). The gait, phase during support period, pressure, and the angle of foot axis were determined when children walked through the Footscan USB2 system in the natural state, single-shoulder and double-shoulder schoolbag loading.
RESULTS AND CONCLUSION: Compared with natural walk, the whole foot touchdown phase percentage was increased, the angle of left and right foot axis was increased, the pressure at the heels, second metatarsal bone and first metatarsal bone was increased (P < 0.05) when walked with double-shoulder schoolbag loading. When children walked with single-shoulder schoolbag loading, gait showed instability at each stage of support period of two feet, the pressure at the heel on the loading side, second metatarsal bone and first metatarsal bone was sharply increased, and the angle of foot axis on the loading side was significantly greater than natural walk and double-shoulder schoolbag loading walk (P < 0.05). These findings suggest that schoolbag loading increases the walk instability of children, and characteristics of instability in terms of phase of support period of two feet and pressure appear in no matter single-shoulder or shoulder-shoulder schoolbag loading walk.