Relationship between foot posture and dental malocclusions in children aged 6 to 9 years: A cross-sectional study

摘要

The aim of this study was to determine the association, if any, between foot posture and dental malocclusions in the anteroposterior plane, in children . The study population consisted of 189 children (95 boys and 94 girls) aged 6 to 9 years. In every case, previous informed consent was requested and obtained from the parent/guardian and the study was approved by the Ethics Committee of the University of Málaga (CEUMA 26/2015H). This observational, descriptive, cross-sectional analysis is based on a study population (STROBE). Qualified personnel conducted a podiatric and dental examination of each child, recording the Clarke angle and the foot posture index (FPI) as an outcomes measure in the feet, and also dental malocclusions , according to Angle classification. A significant correlation was observed for the FPI scores (for right foot) as well as the Clarke angle (for right foot), in relation to dental malocclusions as determined by Angle classification ( P < .001). Of all the supinated feet analyzed, 38.46% were Class II according to Angle classification, and none were Class III. Of the pronated feet, 48.57% were Class III, 42.85% were Class I, and 8.57% were Class II. The Clarke angle decreases with the progression from Class I to III, whereas the FPI increases with that from Class I to III. These findings suggest there is a relation between the Clarke angle and FPI, on the one hand, and dental malocclusion on the other.