ABSTRACT
Plantar pressure measurements, that is, pedobarography, have played an essential role in the research of foot and ankle and footwear science in the last three decades. Especially in the diabetic and rheumatic foot, many studies have been performed using plantar pressure measurements (Boulton et al., 1983; Veves et al., 1992; Armstrong et al., 1998; Mueller et al., 2003; Otter et al., 2004; Tuna et al., 2005; Schmeigel et al., 2008; Novak et al., 2009). In addition, plantar pressure measurements have revealed increased plantar pressure in certain areas in subjects with foot deformities such as claw toes or metatarsophalangeal joint subluxations or dislocations (Armstrong and Lavery, 1998, Waldecker, 2002; Mueller et al., 2003; Bus et al., 2005; Burns et al., 2005). The advantage of plantar pressure measurements is that it can easily be performed without any substantial effort, in contrast to 3D gait analysis. Plantar pressure can be measured without marker placement, which is required in 3D gait analysis. Another advantage of plantar pressure measurements compared to 3D gait analysis is that the equipment is relatively inexpensive.
