ArticleScientific reports2021
Track distance runners exhibit bilateral differences in the plantar fascia stiffness.
Article in Scientific reports, 2021. The graph could read no effect estimate from its abstract, so it casts no vote on the map. Cited by 4 papers, 1 of them a synthesis that pooled it.
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Who cites it
4 citing papers in PubMed, 1 synthesis or guideline pooled it.
- Shear-wave elastography of the plantar fascia: a systematic review and meta-analysis.Journal of ultrasound · 2023Pooled it
- Passive lower leg stiffness changes during a 10 k run.Frontiers in sports and active living · 2025Article
- The Importance of Preconditioning for the Sonographic Assessment of Plantar Fascia Thickness and Shear Wave Velocity.Sensors (Basel, Switzerland) · 2024Article
- Quantification of the in vivo stiffness and natural length of the human plantar aponeurosis during quiet standing using ultrasound elastography.Scientific reports · 2022Article
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6 authors.
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Abstract
Human steady-state locomotion modes are symmetrical, leading to symmetric mechanical function of human feet in general; however, track distance running in a counterclockwise direction exposes the runner's feet to asymmetrical stress. This may induce asymmetrical adaptation in the runners' foot arch functions, but this has not been experimentally tested. Here, we show that the plantar fascia (PF), a primary structure of the foot arch elasticity, is stiffer for the left than the right foot as a characteristic of runners, via a cross-sectional study on 10 track distance runners and 10 untrained individuals. Shear wave velocity (index of tissue stiffness: SWV) and thickness of PF and foot dimensions were compared between sides and groups. Runners showed higher PF SWV in their left (9.4 ± 1.0 m/s) than right (8.9 ± 0.9 m/s) feet, whereas untrained individuals showed no bilateral differences (8.5 ± 1.5 m/s and 8.6 ± 1.7 m/s, respectively). Additionally, runners showed higher left to right (L/R) ratio of PF SWV than untrained men (105.1% and 97.7%, respectively). PF thickness and foot dimensions were not significantly different between sides or groups. These results demonstrate stiffer PF in the left feet of runners, which may reflect adaptation to their running-specific training that involves asymmetrical mechanical loading.
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