Functional study of the soybean stamen-preferentially expressed gene GmFLA22a in regulating male fertility.

BACKGROUND

Correct use of the feet, step techniques, and positions constitute significant factors in the success of a dancer. Moreover, the type of dance has crucial effects on the posture of the foot and ankle. Therefore, the primary aim of our study was to determine whether there was a relationship between dancesport, dance experience (years), shoe-wearing time (hours), and shoe heel height (centimeters) in dance athletes performing Sportive Latin American Ballroom (SLAB) dance. Second, we aimed to compare the foot posture of SLAB dancers and nondancers with similar demographic characteristics.

METHODS

Twenty-six professional SLAB dancers and 26 nondancers who had similar demographic characteristics and did not use high-heeled shoes volunteered to take part in this study. Foot posture (using the Foot Posture Index [FPI]), foot pronation (using the navicular drop test [NDT]), tibiocalcaneal angle, hallux valgus angle (HVA) (using a goniometer), and ankle dorsiflexion range of motion (ROM) (using the weightbearing lunge test) were evaluated.

RESULTS

There was a positive moderate correlation between FPI score and shoe-wearing time on the dominant (P = .041; r = 0.40) and nondominant (P = .026; r = 0.43) sides. A positive very good correlation was found between shoe heel height and HVA (P < .001; r = 0.75). A negative good correlation was observed between years of dancing and nondominant ankle dorsiflexion ROM (P = .027; r = -0.43). When dancers and nondancers were compared, a statistically significant difference was found between FPI and NDT scores (P < .001). The FPI and NDT scores, tibiocalcaneal angle, HVA, and ankle dorsiflexion ROM were significantly greater in the dancer group compared with the nondancer group (P < .001) in all measurements of the dominant and nondominant sides.

CONCLUSIONS

Revealing the relationship between dance experience and shoe-wearing time and the difference between the foot posture and deformities of athletes who perform SLAB dance and those of nondancers constitutes a pivotal endeavor that will increase awareness and knowledge among dancers and clinicians.