Effects of a functional foot orthosis on the knee angle in the sagittal plane of college students in their 20s with flatfoot

[Purpose] The purpose of this study was to examine the effects of a functional foot orthosis on the knee angle in the sagittal plane of college students in their 20s who had flatfoot. [Subjects and Methods] The subjects of this study were 20 college students diagnosed as having flatfoot. The variations of their knee angle (Q-angle) in the sagittal plane during the stance phase were measured using the VICON Motion System (Vicon, Hansung, Korea) before and while wearing a foot orthosis. The experimental data were analyzed using SPSS 12.0 for Windows. [Results] The Q-angle in the test group during the stance phase showed statistically significant declines on the right and left sides while wearing the foot orthosis during the gait-phases of loading response and midstance. During initial contact, terminal stance, and preswing, the Q-angle also decreased on the right and left sides after wearing the foot orthosis, but the changes were not statistically significant. [Conclusion] The college students with flatfoot exhibited declines in the Q-angle in the sagittal plane while wearing a foot orthosis. In this regard, the application of active gait training using orthotic shoes for long hours is likely to help individuals with flatfoot to achieve normal gait.