Musculoskeletal injury and the correlation with foot plantar pressure in an Australian Aboriginal population

Objectives: There has been limited research into Aboriginal foot biomechanics and musculoskeletal injury. Studies have shown Aboriginal people have high rates of back injury, but no explanation of the cause has been provided or investigated. This study will examine the prevalence of ankle, knee and back injury and the association with foot pressure.

Methods: A total of 127 Aboriginal community members volunteered for a clinical assessment of foot pressure and musculoskeletal injury. Analysis of plantar pressure was recorded in both the left and right feet. The Tekscan HR Mat system was used to investigate Peak Pressure (PP) and Pressure Time Integrals (PTI). Participants were asked to self-report if they previously or currently have an ankle, knee or back injury.

Results: There were 80 (67%) participants who self-reported that they had a previous ankle injury and 36 (30%) had a current ankle injury. There were 61 (52%) who reported having a previous knee injury and 32 (27%) who had a current knee injury. There were 75 (64%) who indicated they had a previous back injury, and 53 (45%) who had a current back injury. Musculoskeletal injury was high, with knee injury being associated with mid-foot pressure, mid-foot PP left -.276**, mid-foot PTI left -.362**, and mid-foot PTI right -.321** and back injury with mid-foot PTI right -.259**.

Conclusions: Aboriginal people have concerning percentages of musculoskeletal injuries which are correlated with mid-foot pressure. Ankle, knee and back injuries can be debilitating, which may have a direct effect on health but also impact on participation in sport, and other physical activities, including cultural activities.

Implication: The correlation of mid-foot pressure and musculoskeletal injuries may impair some Aboriginal community members’ ability to participant in physical and cultural activities, which may also effect quality of life and social and emotional well-being of community members.