Abstract:

This study was conducted to investigate the relationship of morphological structure of foot, and ankle flexibility to foot and ankle disorders in folk dancers. 42 dancers participated in the study. The morphological structures of feet were determined by using footprint analysis method with 4 parameters and ankle flexibility properties were determined by using 4 parameters. Expanded nordic musculoskeletal questionnaire was used to determine foot and ankle disorders. The data were evaluated with spearman correlation and man whitney u tests at p <0.05 significance level. When the foot and ankle parameters of unhealthy and healthy volunteers were compared, a statistically significant difference was found between the two groups in the CSI, SI and DF° values in the right foot, and in the CSI and SI values in the left foot. When the relationship of foot and ankle parameters to pain severity and pain frequency in unhealthy volunteers was examined, it was observed that there was a negative correlation between DF° and E° values and pain frequency, and between DF°, PF° and E° values and pain severity in the right foot. In the left foot, a negative correlation was found between the DF° values and the frequency of pain. (p<0,05). In this study, some components of the foot morphological structure and ankle flexibility properties were found to have a relationship with foot and ankle disorders. These results can be taken into account in the determination of risk factors and preventive measures in terms of pain, injury and various disorders in the foot and ankle region.

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