Symmetry of plantar pressures and vertical forces in healthy subjects during walking

The purpose of this study was to determine the degree of symmetry for in-sh oe plantar pressure and vertical force patterns between the left and right feet of healthy subjects during walking. Thirty subjects with a mean age of 29.6 years participated in the study. Each subject walked a distance of 8 m three times while in-shoe plantar pressure and vertical force data were c ollected. A total of 12 steps were analyzed for both feet, and maximum vert ical force, peak pressure, and pressure-time integrals were calculated for four plantar regions of the foot. No differences in the three variables wer e noted between male and female subjects. Plantar pressure and vertical for ce patterns were found to be symmetrical between the left and right feet, e xcept for two of the four plantar regions studied. Only the forefoot and re arfoot regions were found to show significant differences between the left and right feet for plantar pressure and vertical force, respectively. The d egree of asymmetry for these two plantar regions in the same foot, however, was minimal.