**4.5 Effect of muscle strength and fatigue on postural balance**

As the age advances particularly after forties, the muscle mass goes on decreasing so does the muscle strength. Muscle fatigue, which is a common condition affecting the elderly population, can result in mobility, postural and gait deficiencies. The state of mind can influence the activity of the muscular system, that is, the muscular tonus. The muscular activation or, in the contrary case, the muscular relaxation influences postures adopted by people. The body height and the lower limb length constitute partly to weight transfer strategy. The trunk-cephalic length does not correlate to the postural sway. Body mass is located above the hips, so it is not the main factor for the mediolateral sway. The weight transfer strategy for men depends on the size of the basis of support and their lean mass, while, for women, only the lengths (whole body and lower limbs) are important. Lower basis of supports leads to higher postural sway in the ML direction (Chiari et al. [11]; Chou et al., [20]), and to control the increase in body sway, it is necessary to increase the lean mass, probably and mainly the muscle mass to be able to generate more muscle force. The increase in body height affects the body mass and soft tissue mass (lean and fat masses) increases the postural sway. The increase in body mass indeed enlarges the postural sway.

gently touch the wall. A vertical stop was placed against the anterior most point of the foot. The distance between the posterior most point of the heel and the anterior

**Foot breadth:** It will be measured as distance between metatarsal tibiale (point projecting most medially on the head of the 1st metatarsal bone) and

a stadiometer with the subject standing erect on a horizontal resting plane bare footed having the palms of the hands turned inward and the fingers pointing downwards. The height will be measured from the sole of the feet to the vertex of

metatarsal fibulare (point projecting most laterally on the head of the 5th metatarsal

**Body weight:** It will be taken using the Mechanical Weighing Balance to the nearest kg according to the standard procedures A. Ibegbu, David et al. [24]. **Body mass index:** It will be calculated by dividing weight by height squared

)] David et al. [24].

Vernier slide calipers, calibrated foot board, stadiometer, regular weight machine, questionnaire for collection of personal details, academic scores, lead pencils, stationary, etc. Data collected were tabulated, graphically represented and

In our study, mean foot length was observed as 24.34 cm on the right side and 24.32 cm on the left side. Mean body mass index was calculated as 20.97. Correlation between foot length and body mass index was done. No statistically significant correlation between BMI and foot length of the right and left sides (P > 0.05) was

In the present study, mean foot breadth was observed as 8.95 cm on the right side and 8.96 cm on the left side. Mean body mass index was calculated as 20.97. Correlation between foot length and body mass index was done. There was a

**Height:** Standing height will be measured to the nearest centimeters (cm) using

most point of the foot was measured as the foot length [22] (**Figure 1**).

*Effect of Foot Morphology and Anthropometry on Bipedal Postural Balance*

*DOI: http://dx.doi.org/10.5772/intechopen.92149*

the head as recommended by International Biological Program [23].

bone) [23].

**Figure 1.**

*Measurement of foot length.*

[weight/height squared (kg/m<sup>2</sup>

observed. For further details, refer to **Table 1**.

**6.2 Data collection tools**

statistically analyzed.

**7. Observations**

**149**
