Descriptive Analysis of Foot Morphological Characteristics Among Inter-University Level Players of Different Sports

Descriptive Analysis of Foot Morphological Characteristics Among Inter-University Level Players of Different Sports in Uttar Pradesh, India. A total of 120 male players (20 from each sport) participating in different sports at university level were selected for the present study. The age category of students was between the range of 18 to 22 years. The shape of the foot has a significant impact on both injury prevention and athletic performance. The purpose of this study was to perform a descriptive examination of the morphological features of the feet in athletes competing at the intercollegiate level in a variety of sports, such as athletics, volleyball, badminton, football, cricket, and basketball. Through the measurement of factors like Length (Foot Length, Ball of Foot Length, Outside Ball of Foot, Toe Length, Heel to Medial/Lateral Malleolus), Width (Ball of Foot Width, Heel Width, Planter Arch Width), Circumference (Ball Girth, Heel Girth), Height (Medial/Lateral Malleolus Height) and Angles (Ball Angle, Hallux Angle). The goal of the study was to discover morphological adaptations unique to a given sport and offer suggestions for improving training and injury prevention techniques as well as help to sports shoe manufacturer companies to make customize shoes according to region.


Introduction
The size, form, and structural alignment of the foot are all considered aspects of foot morphology, which is important for both injury prevention and sports performance.During a variety of physical activities, the foot serves as the base of motion, supporting weight, absorbing stress, and supplying propulsion.The demands placed on the foot by various sports vary, resulting in particular morphological modifications that improve performance and reduce the risk of injury.Comprehending these modifications is important for formulating efficient training regimens, creating footwear tailored to various sports, and executing tactics to avert injuries.The intricate anatomical structure of the human foot is made up of bones, muscles, ligaments, and tendons, all of which cooperate to give stability and movement.Changes in the morphology of the foot can have a major impact on an athlete's ability to perform and their vulnerability to injuries.As an example, runners frequently have differences in the form of their foot arches, which can affect their gait and increase their risk of overuse injuries (Williams et al., 2001).In a similar vein, broader feet help to improve stability and support for basketball players, who constantly leap and move lateral (Nigg & Segesser, 1992).
Studies have indicated a strong correlation between foot shape and athletic performance.For instance, athletes who possess strong plantar muscles and well-developed arches are better able to create propulsion and absorb stress, which is important in sports involving sprinting and jumping (Menz et al., 2006).On the other hand, athletes who have flat feet may put more strain on their lower limbs, which increases their risk of shin splints and plantar fasciitis, among other problems (Bordin et al., 2001).Comprehending these anatomical distinctions is essential to customizing training and recovery regimens to the individual requirements of athletes.Sports-specific morphological adaptations occur from the demands placed on the feet by various movements and forces.For example, strong and flexible feet are developed by soccer players to withstand high-impact pressures and quick direction changes while kicking and running (Dicharry, 2010).Conversely, to maximize propulsion in water, swimmers need flexible feet with a more prominent arch (Zaitseva et al., 2016).Depending on the event, track and field athletes may display different foot traits.For example, sprinters may have more stiff feet to generate explosive power, while distance runners may have more flexible feet to absorb stress and maintain endurance.The unique demands of individual sports influence the morphological features of athletes' foot, resulting in modifications that can improve performance and lower the risk of injury.Through the examination of these sport-specific differences, scientists can pinpoint the essential morphological characteristics that lead to success in other sports.Using this information, customized training plans, orthotics, and footwear can be created to meet the particular requirements of athletes in various sports.It is essential to comprehend how athletes from different sports differ in their foot morphology in order to maximize performance and minimize injuries.The purpose of this study is to determine the unique morphological adaptations linked to each activity in order to offer insightful information that can guide the creation of focused training plans, footwear, and orthotics.

Methodology
A total of 120 male players (20 from each sports) participating in different sports at university level were selected for the present study.The age category of students was between the range of 18 to 22 years.For the purpose of the study, the scholar prepared an ink pad for foot imprint on A4 size paper.Subjects were asked to stand keeping both feet on ground and both leg imprint was taken by.Thus, both leg on ground left foot and both leg on ground right foot was taken for the purpose of the study.The analysis of the gathered data pertaining to the selected Morphological traits and their statistical analysis ware presented.The data pertaining to Morphological traits of the 120 male players from deferent games like Athletics, badminton, basketball, cricket, football and volleyball of deferent university.The statistics for various foot measurements across different sports and in total.Foot length (R) ranges from 22.2 cm (Basketball) to 27.7 cm (Football), with an overall mean of 24.646 cm and standard deviation of 1.3277 cm.Ball of foot length is between 15.9 cm (Total) and 18.515 cm (Football), averaging 17.805 cm across all groups.Outside ball of foot measurements vary from 12.5 cm (Cricket) to 17.7 cm (Badminton), with a total mean of 15.152 cm.Toe length ranges from 6.6 cm (Total) to 9.9 cm (Football), averaging 8.269 cm.Heel to medial/lateral malleolus spans from 4.5 cm (Total) to 8.4 cm (Volleyball), with an average of 6.736 cm.Ball of foot width ranges from 8.2 cm (Total) to 11.0 cm (Football), averaging 9.458 cm.Heel width varies from 4.2 cm (Total) to 6.7 cm (Football), with a mean of 5.243 cm.Plantar arch width ranges from 0.4 cm (Football) to 6.5 cm (Football), averaging 3.553 cm.Ball girth spans from 22.0 cm (Total) to 28.4 cm (Cricket), with a mean of 25.171 cm.Heel girth varies from 25.8 cm (Total) to 35.5 cm (Volleyball), averaging 31.309cm.Arch height MLA ranges from 2.9 cm (Athletics) to 10.0 cm (Basketball), with a mean of 6.941 cm.Ball angle ranges from 100 (Athletics) to 127 (Cricket), averaging 112.56 degrees.Hallux angle spans from 0 degrees (several sports) to 18 degrees (Cricket), with a mean of 3.68 degrees.Chippaux-Smirak index ranges from 0.087 (Volleyball) to 0.685 (Cricket), with an average of 0.37312.Staheli index varies from 0.148 (Basketball) to 1.370 (Cricket), averaging 0.67392.

Conclusion
The purpose of this study was to assess and prepare the profile of the foot morphology of the students participating in different sports and improve our understanding of the morphology of the foot in relation to specific sports and to provide information on foot morphology in different sports to help shoe manufacturers and shoe companies that make athletic footwear according to region.This information will also have implications for inter university athletes' performance and injury prevention.

These are described below- 1 .
Foot length: Distance between foot end (FE) (heel) and foot tip (FT1) (anterior point of the most protruding toe) along the medial tangent of the foot 2. Ball of foot length: Distance between FE (heel) and the first metatarsophalangeal protrusion (MTP) 3. Outside ball of foot length: Distance between FE (heel) and the fifth metatarsophalangeal protrusion (MTP) (B5) parallel to foot measuring line (FE − FT1) 4. Toe length Distance between the bisected ball line (B1 − B5) (BM) and foot tip (FT2) (anterior point of the most protruding toe) 5. Heel to medial/lateral malleolus Length from FE to the most medially/laterally protruding point on the medial/lateral malleolus measured along the foot axis (Kouchi 2003) 6. Ball of foot width: Connection line between first MTP joint (B1) and fifth MTP joint protrusion (B5) (ball line) 7. Heel width: Widest part of the heel (plantar print) (HW1− HW2) parallel to the ball line (B1 − B5) 8. Planter arch width: Narrowest section of the plantar medial longitudinal arch (AW1 − AW2) 9. Baal girth Maximum circumference over the first (B1) and fifth MTP joint protrusion (B5) 10.Heel girth Circumference passing through the point of distal heel curvature to the dorsal junction of the foot and leg (Kouchi 2003) 11.Medial/lateral malleolus height: height of the most medially/ laterally protruding point of the medial/lateral malleolus (H2) (Kouchi 2003) 12. Ball angle: angle between the horizontal (90° to foot measuring line) and orthogonal ball line (B1 − B5) in B1 13.Hallux angle: angle between the orthogonal ball line (B1 − B5) and the medial definition of the hallux in B1 14. Chippoux smirek index: Relation between arch width (AW1− AW2 ) and ball width (B1 − B5) A greater index indicates a high width in the arch area and thus a lowered medial arch of the foot.This is the ratio of the minimum width of the mid foot arch region to the maximum width of the fore foot region.15.Stehalli index: Relation between the arch width (AW1 − AW2) and heel width (HW1 − HW2) High arch index is the result of a descending of the arch of the foot.This is the ratio of the minimum width of the mid foot arch region to the maximum width of the rear foot regions.