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Dryad

Foot shape-function model data

Schuster, Robert1

Published Dec 11, 2023 on Dryad. https://doi.org/10.5061/dryad.g4f4qrfwt

Data files

Dec 11, 2023 version files 1.20 GB

Abstract

The human foot is a complex structure that plays an important role in our capacity for upright locomotion. Comparisons of our feet to those of our closest extinct and extant relatives have linked shape features (e.g., the longitudinal and transverse arches, heel size and toe length) to specific mechanical functions. However, foot shape varies widely across the human population, so it remains unclear if and how specific shape variants are related to locomotor mechanics. Here we construct a statistical shape-function model (SFM) from 100 healthy participants to directly explore the relationship between the shape and function of our feet. We also examined if we could predict the joint motion and moments occurring within a person’s foot during locomotion based purely on shape features. The SFM revealed that the longitudinal and transverse arches, relative foot proportions and toe shape along with their associated joint mechanics were the most variable. However, each of these only accounted for small proportions of the overall variation in shape, deformation, and joint mechanics, most likely due to the high structural complexity of the foot. Nevertheless, a leave-one-out analysis showed that the SFM can accurately predict joint mechanics of a novel foot, based on its shape and deformation.