ORIGINAL PAPER
Association between foot morphology and dynamic knee valgus during single leg squats in recreational male football players: a cross-sectional study
1
Faculty of Health and Life Sciences, INTI International University, Nilai, Malaysia
2
Indira Gandhi Memorial Hospital, K.Male’, Maldives
3
M. Kandiah Faculty of Medicine and Health Sciences, Universiti Tunku Abdul Rahman, Kajang, Malaysia
4
Department of Physical Therapy, Deanship of Quality and Academic Accreditation, Imam Abdulrahman Bin Faisal University, Dammam, Saudi Arabia
5
Deanship of Quality and Academic Accreditation, Imam Abdulrahman Bin Faisal University, Dammam, Saudi Arabia
6
Biomechanics Department, Faculty of Physical Therapy, Cairo University, Giza, Egypt
7
Department of Physical Therapy and Health Rehabilitation, College of Applied Medical Sciences, Jouf University, AlJouf, Kingdom of Saudi Arabia
8
Emirates Health Services, Physiotherapy and Sports Medicine Center, Ras al Khaimah, United Arab Emirates
9
Gems Millennium School, Sharjah, United Arab Emirates
Submission date: 2024-10-11
Acceptance date: 2025-01-08
Publication date: 2025-03-31
Corresponding author
Vinosh Kumar Purushothaman
Faculty of Health and Life Sciences, INTI International University, Putra Nilai 71800, Negeri Sembilan, Malaysia
Faculty of Health and Life Sciences, INTI International University, Putra Nilai 71800, Negeri Sembilan, Malaysia
Hum Mov. 2025;26(1):142-151
KEYWORDS
TOPICS
ABSTRACT
Purpose:
This study examines the relationship between foot morphology, foot type, and dynamic knee valgus in male football players during single-leg squats using biomechanical analyses.
Methods:
A cross-sectional study design was adopted. Male football players (n = 151) aged between 18 and 30 years belonging to three Malaysian football clubs were recruited. Of these participants, foot type, single-leg squat (SLS) performance, knee alignment using knee frontal plane projection angle (FPPA), and other measures of foot morphology were recorded, including foot length, foot width, truncated foot length, and navicular height. Chi-square tests were used to examine the association between foot type, SLS, and knee alignment. Bipoint serial correlations were used to determine the relationship between foot morphology, SLS, and knee alignment.
Results:
A significant association was found between foot type and SLS (p < 0.05). During the SLSs, only navicular height (rpb = 0.154, n = 151, p < 0.05) and dorsal height (rpb = 0.144, n = 151, p < 0.05) showed a statistically significant connection in the dominant leg. In contrast, only navicular height in the non-dominant leg (rpb = 0.169, n = 151, p < 0.05) showed a significant correlation with SLSs.
Conclusions:
This study established a strong link between foot type and SLS in football players. Specifically, a statistically significant association between navicular and dorsal height in the dominant leg and navicular height in the non-dominant leg. This study emphasises the significance of foot morphology and the dynamic evaluation of knee valgus during functional movements.
This study examines the relationship between foot morphology, foot type, and dynamic knee valgus in male football players during single-leg squats using biomechanical analyses.
Methods:
A cross-sectional study design was adopted. Male football players (n = 151) aged between 18 and 30 years belonging to three Malaysian football clubs were recruited. Of these participants, foot type, single-leg squat (SLS) performance, knee alignment using knee frontal plane projection angle (FPPA), and other measures of foot morphology were recorded, including foot length, foot width, truncated foot length, and navicular height. Chi-square tests were used to examine the association between foot type, SLS, and knee alignment. Bipoint serial correlations were used to determine the relationship between foot morphology, SLS, and knee alignment.
Results:
A significant association was found between foot type and SLS (p < 0.05). During the SLSs, only navicular height (rpb = 0.154, n = 151, p < 0.05) and dorsal height (rpb = 0.144, n = 151, p < 0.05) showed a statistically significant connection in the dominant leg. In contrast, only navicular height in the non-dominant leg (rpb = 0.169, n = 151, p < 0.05) showed a significant correlation with SLSs.
Conclusions:
This study established a strong link between foot type and SLS in football players. Specifically, a statistically significant association between navicular and dorsal height in the dominant leg and navicular height in the non-dominant leg. This study emphasises the significance of foot morphology and the dynamic evaluation of knee valgus during functional movements.
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