Relationship between the floating toe and the center-of-pressure position in an upright posture among students.
Koji Koyama, Tomomi Ichiba, Kozo Furushima and 6 others
PMID 38562537WHAT IT FOUND
Children with floating toes stood with their weight shifted back toward their heels.
A higher center-of-pressure position was linked to better toe contact. This suggests a backward stance may contribute to the condition, though the study only shows an association.
Key findings
01The center-of-pressure position showed a significant moderate correlation with the floating toe score.
02In the regression analysis, a higher center-of-pressure position was significantly associated with a higher floating toe score.
03The prevalence of floating toes in this group was 98.0%.
STILL TO COME
How it was doneWhat they foundWhat it means for PTsWhat it means for OTs
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What it does not show
The study was cross-sectional, so it cannot determine if a backward center-of-pressure position causes floating toes or is just associated with them. The regression models explained only a small amount of the variance in floating toe scores. Floating toes were assessed only during static standing, not while walking or moving. The study did not check if the measurements were consistent between different examiners.
Declared interests
No funding was received for this study. The authors declare no conflicts of interest.
The easy way to misread this
Do not assume that correcting the center-of-pressure position will fix floating toes. This study shows an association, not a cause-and-effect relationship, and the statistical model fit was poor, meaning many other factors likely influence the condition.