Correlations between subjective treatment responses and plantar pressure parameters of metatarsal pad treatment in metatarsalgia patients: a prospective study
2006

Study on Metatarsal Pads for Pain Relief in Metatarsalgia Patients

Sample size: 13 publication Evidence: moderate

Author Information

Author(s): Kang Jiunn-Horng, Chen Min-Der, Chen Shih-Ching, Hsi Wei-Li

Primary Institution: Taipei Medical University Hospital

Hypothesis

Poor subjective improvement is related to the failure to reduce plantar pressure under the metatarsal head using metatarsal pads.

Conclusion

The decline in plantar pressure after applying metatarsal pads is correlated with subjective pain improvement in metatarsalgia patients.

Supporting Evidence

  • Plantar pressure measurements showed a significant decrease after metatarsal pad application.
  • Subjective pain scores improved significantly after treatment.
  • Correlation between changes in plantar pressure parameters and VAS scores was statistically significant.

Takeaway

This study shows that using special pads can help reduce foot pain by lowering pressure in the right spots.

Methodology

Thirteen patients with metatarsalgia were treated with metatarsal pads, and their plantar pressure and pain levels were measured before and after treatment.

Potential Biases

Potential bias due to the small sample size and the exclusion of various foot conditions.

Limitations

The study had a small sample size and excluded patients with certain foot conditions, which may limit the generalizability of the findings.

Participant Demographics

9 females and 4 males, aged 28 to 67 years, with a mean age of 50.5 years.

Statistical Information

P-Value

p<0.001

Confidence Interval

95% CI, 174.5–280.0

Statistical Significance

p<0.05

Digital Object Identifier (DOI)

10.1186/1471-2474-7-95

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