• The Journal of Korean Physical Therapy
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• v.25 no.6
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• pp.379-385
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• 2013

Purpose: The purpose of this study is to compare kinematics on lower limbs between stair walking with high heel and barefoot in healthy adult women. Methods: 18 healthy adult women were recruited in this study. The subjects performed stair ascent and descent with high heels and barefoot. The experiment was conducted in random order and repeated three times for each stair walking with high heels and barefoot. The movements of lower limb joints were measured and analyzed using a three-dimensional analysis system. Results: The ankle, knee, and hip flexion angles on the sagittal plane exhibited statistically significant differences between stair ascent and descent with high heels and barefoot. The pelvic forward tilt angles showed statistically significant differences only during stair ascent. The ankle inversion, hip abduction and pelvic lateral tilt angles on the frontal plane showed statistically significant differences between stair walking with high heels and barefoot. On the transverse plane, the hip rotation angles showed statistically significant differences between the high-heeled and barefoot gait during stair ascent and descent. However, the pelvic rotation angles showed no statistically significant differences. Conclusion: Therefore, wearing high-heeled shoes during stair walking in daily life is considered to influence lower limb kinematics due to the high heel, and thus poses the risks of pain, and low stability and joint damage caused by changes in the movement of lower limb joints.

• Korean Journal of Applied Biomechanics
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• v.19 no.4
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• pp.771-778
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• 2009

We aimed to determine the effect of heel height on foot pressure by comparing and analyzing data on foot pressure in shoes with different heel heights. Qn the basis of a previous study, we selected 3cm and 7cm as the shoe heel heights preferred by female college students. We divided 10 female students into forefoot and hindfoot to measure vertical force, maximum pressure, and average pressure. The average pressure on the forefoot was higher and that on the hindfoot was lower in the case of 7cm high-heeled shoes. The maximum pressure on the forefoot was significantly higher in the case of the 7cm heel height (p<.05). The vertical force, maximum pressure, and average pressure on the hindfoot were also significantly higher in the case of the 7cm heel height (p<.05). The results showed that wearing 7cm high-heeled shoes exerted greater maximum pressure on the forefoot and greater vertical force, maximum pressure, and average pressure on the Hndfoot. This leads to increase in confining pressure caused by high pressure distribution over the forefoot and increase in the pressure on the hindfoot, which may cause deformation of toes and heel pain over a long period. Therefore, female college students who wish to wear high heels are recommended to wear 3cm high-heeled shoes rather than 7cm high-heeled shoes.

• Journal of the Ergonomics Society of Korea
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• v.23 no.1
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• pp.39-48
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• 2004

In terms of women engaged in clerical job. working time of the workers who mainly keep standing with their high-heeled shoes on has been increasing. According]y. they are exposed to many kinds of foot deformation caused by loads of lower back and lower extremities due to high-heeled shoes. The type of heels they usually wear are diverse though the hight is same. In this study. we investigated most women's favorite styles of shoes concerned with heights. types and contact areas of the heels. Hence. we designed three kinds of shoes for an experiment: their contact areas with ground are 1 cm2. 2-4 cm2 and over 9 cm2 according to the heel heights. respectively. To investigate the biomechanical effects. analysis of motion and EMG were applied to the experiments. In addition. foot pressure distribution was measured for more detailed analysis. Six healthy young women were participated in this experiments. The result showed the heel becoming higher and narrower increased not only fluctuation of CBM(Center of Body Mass). but also the load of low back muscle and lower extremities. Accordingly. there was significant difference among types of the heel in terms of the role supporting load of the body. though the height is same. Especially. the difference among the pressures on a foot was most significant. In conclusion. we verified biomechanical effects are related with the contact area of a heel with ground as well as the hight.

• Journal of the Korean Society of Physical Medicine
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• v.2 no.1
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• pp.49-59
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• 2007

Objective : To purpose of this study was the most of the ladies wear high-heeled shoes at lease 4 to 5 day a week but the effect of it's height on the lumbo-sacral legion angle has not been clearly defined. Method : Subject were 20 young ladies, who had majored in physical therapy of the Dae-gu Health College. Method 1. PACS system X-ray was used to measure the lumbo-sacral legion angle under the condition of bare foot, 3cm, 7cm high-heeled at standing position. 2. Spinal Mouse was used to measure the spinal segment motion angle and length under the condition of bare foot, 3cm, 7cm high-heeled at being Flexion-Extension position Result : The result of this study were as follow I. Significant statistical increase in lumbar lordosis was observed as the heel height was increased from bare foot to 7cm high-heeled(p<.05), but there was no significant difference in the lumbo-sacral angle & sacral angle(p>.05). 2. The Height and the weight of the subjects, their preference on the shoes didn't affect the lumbo-sacral lesion angle(p>.05) 3. The variation of the heel height didn't affect the spinal segment motion angle and length(p>.05). Conclusion : There is strong relationship between the high of heel with increasing the lumbar lordosis(p<.05).

• International Journal of Contents
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• v.6 no.1
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• pp.41-46
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• 2010

The aim of this study was to investigate the effect of different shoe-heel heights on the surface electromyographic (EMG) activity of vastus medialis (VM) and vastus lateralis (VL) during treadmill walking in female patients with patellofemoral pain (PFP). Nineteen women with PFP participated in this research. EMG signals were recorded from the VM and VL of both sides and were compared during the treadmill walking. The subjects walked on a treadmill wearing shoes of three different heel heights: 1 cm, 3 cm and 7 cm. Each subject walked on a treadmill for five minutes at a speed of 2 km/hour with three minutes resting intervals between consecutive trials. The data were analyzed by one-way repeated-measures analysis of variance. The results of the present study indicate that EMG data of the VM and VL of female patients with PFP did improve with an increase in the height of the shoe heel, which were statistically significant. Additionally, the EMG activity of VM increased more dramatically than that of VL associated with the task of walking with high-heeled shoes on the treadmill. This study suggests that the type of high-heeled shoes is related to the VM and VL muscle activation patterns contributing to knee joint pathologies in female patients with PFP.

• Physical Therapy Korea
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• v.6 no.2
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• pp.43-55
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• 1999

In today's society, many women wear high-heeled shoes, but the effect of heel height on lumbar lordosis has not been clearly defined. The objective of this study was to identify the influence of heel height and general characteristics of subjects on lumbar lordosis. The subjects of this study were 40 healthy women who were students of the Department of Physical Therapy, College of Rehabilitation Science, Taegu University. Flexible ruler measurement was used to measure the lumbar lordosis at barefoot, 3 cm and 7 cm high-heeled standing positions. The results were as follows: 1) Significant statistical decrease in lumbar lordosis was observed as heel heights were increased from barefoot to 7 cm high heel. 2) There were no statistically significant differences between lumbar lordosis according to three different heel heights and weight, body mass index. 3) Lumbar lordosis measured at different heel heights was related to subject's height. With increasing subject's height, lumbar lordosis that measured from each heel height was significantly decreased. As heel heights were increased from barefoot to 7 cm high heel, significant statistical decrease in lumbar lordosis was observed in the subjects whose height were 151~160 cm. 4) Intrarater reliability on lumbar lordosis taken with a flexible ruler was good, with Cronbach ${\alpha}$ values of 0.8971 for barefoot, 0.8107 for 3 cm and 0.9002 for 7 cm high-heeled standing positions.

• Korean Journal of Applied Biomechanics
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• v.13 no.3
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• pp.341-354
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• 2003

The purpose of this study was to develop the uniaxial force plate system which is measured by the vertical force. The VGRF(vertical ground reaction force) 1.0 was composed of 2 bath digital scales, 2 indicaters, and analyzing software. This system was newly renovated to VGRF 2,0 which are 2 industrial digital scales, 2 adjustable indicators, and enforced analyzing software. Changes of the new system were as follows. First, the height of the plate was 75% lower than before. Second, sensing ability of the load cell was changed from 90 - 0.05kg to 300 - 0.1kg. Third, the speed of data processing was changed from 17 per second to 60 per second. Fourth, analyzing software was enforced to develop and calculate the data. For the test of the system, two different types(bare foot, high-heeled shoes) gait was adopted. highly skilled female walker(23yrs, height 165cm, body mass 46.8kg) participated for the experimental study. During the dynamic performance(gait analysis), the data of each load cell were very similar to the previous studies. Specifically, bare foot walking had less vertical force than high-heeled shoes. Consequently, VGRF 2.0 can sense the general dynamic movements as well as static load conditions.

• Journal of the Ergonomics Society of Korea
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• v.29 no.5
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• pp.789-795
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• 2010

This study aimed to investigate the effect of differing heel height on static balance and muscle activation of ankle joint during standing. Twenty-one young females volunteered to participate in this study. To measure balance function and EMG activity of tibialis anterior and gastrocnemius muscles, the subjects were asked to perform 1-min standing with eyes open and closed state under 3 different heel heights: barefoot, 3cm, and 7cm each. During the standing, postural sway distance and area, and EMG activity of tibialis anterior and gastrocnemius muscles were significantly augmented with increasing heel height (p<0.05). For comparison between eyes open and closed in terms of postural sway area and EMG activity of tibialis anterior muscle, barefoot and 7cm height conditions respectively showed significant differences as well. The findings indicate that high-heeled shoes may have disadvantages in maintaining balance function because of extra-muscular effort of ankle joint. This study provides useful information that will inform future studies on how heel height affects muscle activity around the ankle joint in aspects of static and dynamic balance.

• Journal of Korean Physical Therapy Science
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• v.19 no.1
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• pp.55-62
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• 2012

Objectives : The purpose of this study was to determine the effects of high heeled shoes on the static & dynamic balance performance and electromyography(EMG) of back and lower extremity muscles. Materials & Methods : Sixteen women participated in this study. Subjects were composed two groups with LL shoes group and higher heel shoes group. We carried out Romberg's test and muscle activity of left and right Paraspinalis, Quadriceps femoris, Tibialis anterior, Gastrocnemius muscles by EMG in order to determine static balance performance according heel height. Using by Biorescue(Incenierie company), we trained subject to transfer of COG each direction(Anterior, posterior, Right, Left), we carried out this test for distance, surface, distance/surface in order to determine dynamic balance performance according heel height. The data were analyzed by independent t-test between lower and high heel height using SPSS(ver. 17.0)/PC program. Results : There was significant difference of distance(p<.05) of weight perturbation between lower and high group in dynamic balance performance and EMG value of left Gastrocnemius(p<.05), both Tibialis anterior(p<.05) muscle in static balance performance. Conclusions : Height of heel has effect on dynamic balance performance in distance of the Anterior, posterior direction. EMG of Gastrocnemius and Tibialis anterior muscles were affected by Romberg's test.

• Journal of the Korean Applied Science and Technology
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• v.37 no.2
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• pp.206-213
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• 2020

The purpose of the study was to compare the differences among phases accoring to the gait time on the heel height during gait, investigate the effect on ROM of the lower limb on gait time. Ten female college students in their 20s participated in the study, and variables were calculated through 3D gait analysis on height of heel. As a statistical method, one-way ANOVA was performed for the differences between the three heel heights, and multiple regression analysis was performed to determine the effect of gait time on the ROM. As a result of the study, phase 2, the higher the heel, the longer the gait time, but phase 3, the higher the heel, the shorter the gait time. As a result of analyzing the effect of gait time on the ROM of the lower limb, in phase 2, the greater the ROM for the ankle and knee joint in 1 cm, and for the ankle joint in 5 cm, the longer the gait time. In phase 3, the greater the ROM for the hip joint in 1 cm, the longer the gait time, and the smaller the ROM for the ankle joint in 10 cm, the longer the gait time. Therefore, in the case of high-heeled shoes, it is suggested that the control of the ankle joint is important.