Effects of laterality, ankle inversion and stabilizers on the plantar pressure distribution during unipedal standing

The purpose of this research was to evaluate the standing stability with plantar pressure distribution (PPD), and to assess the effects of limb laterality, ankle inversion and stabilizer on PPD during unipedal standing. Nineteen young healthy adults were requested to stand on different inclined surfaces (level 0° and inclined 10° and 20°) with each foot. Three ankle stabilizer conditions were designed as barefoot control, elastic ankle tape and semi-rigid brace. Statistically analyzed with multivariate analysis of variance, the anterior/posterior (A/P) and medial/lateral (M/L) force ratios and total contact area (TPCA) were the main parameters to evaluate the stability. Compared with non-dominant side, the dominant foot was safer during unipedal standing with significantly greater TPCA, and especially when standing with ankle inversion due to additional significantly greater A/P force ratio. Ankle inversion harmed the stability while standing with the non-dominant foot due to significantly decreased A/P force ratio and local contact areas. Ankle brace improved the standing stability with significantly increased TPCA.