Assessment of Static Plantar Pressures in Individuals with Anterior Cruciate Ligament Reconstruction and Pronated Feet at Different Time Intervals After Surgery

Document Type : Research Paper

Authors

1 Department of Sports Biomechanics, Faculty of Educational Sciences and Psychology, University of Mohaghegh Ardabili, Ardabil, Iran

2 Department of Physical Education and Sport Sciences, Faculty of Educational Science and Psychology, University of Mohaghegh Ardabili, Ardabil, Iran.

3 Associate Professor of Rheumatology, Department of Internal Medicine, Faculty of Medicine, Ardabil University of Medical Sciences, Ardabil, Iran.

10.22089/smj.2026.18487.1827
Abstract
The purpose of this study was to investigate static plantar pressure distribution in individuals with ACL reconstruction and pronated foot at different time intervals following surgery. Thirty male participants with pronated foot and ACL reconstruction (mean age: 25.45 ± 1.27 years; mean weight: 79.10 ± 1.75 kg; mean height: 178.85 ± 3.68 cm) and ten healthy male controls (mean age: 24.10 ± 1.54 years; mean weight: 80.48 ± 1.29 kg; mean height: 177.10 ± 5.42 cm) voluntarily participated in this study. Plantar pressures were measured using a Footscan pressure plate system (manufactured in Belgium). Statistical analysis was performed using a two-way repeated-measures analysis of variance (ANOVA). Results demonstrated that the factor of time (pre- versus post-fatigue) had a significant effect on increasing plantar pressures across all groups (P < 0.001).
Additionally, the group factor revealed significant differences among groups; specifically, Group A (less than 6 months post-reconstruction) exhibited the highest pressure values in the medial heel, midfoot, and metatarsal regions. The time × group interaction effect was statistically significant for mean plantar pressure, medial heel pressure, first metatarsal (M1) pressure, and pressure under toes 2–5 (T2–T5) (P < 0.05). Post-hoc tests indicated that the greatest post-fatigue pressure increases occurred in Groups A and B. It appears that individuals with ACL reconstruction and a pronated foot, particularly during early rehabilitation stages (less than 12 months post-surgery), experience a substantial increase in plantar pressures under fatigue conditions, indicating greater instability and abnormal load distribution across the foot.

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Articles in Press, Accepted Manuscript
Available Online from 19 January 2026

  • Receive Date 09 September 2025
  • Revise Date 11 December 2025
  • Accept Date 12 January 2026