Biomedical subjects
Jill Ferrari
Publications and source records attributed to Jill Ferrari.
Fungal toenail infections.
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Foot pressure measurement differences between boys and girls with reference to hallux valgus deformity and hypermobility.
BACKGROUND: Previous studies that compared foot pressures in boys and girls found that girls had greater peak pressures under the hallux than did boys. Only one of these studies considered plantar pressure measurements in children. The purpose of the study was to investigate the effect of gender on foot pressure measurements in children. METHODS: This is a comparative study using the F-Scan pressure platform (F-Mat; Texscan Boston, MA) on a sample of children attending a podiatric clinic. Pressure measurements and temporal parameters were measured in 61 children between the ages of 5 and 16 years. Associations between joint hypermobility and hallux valgus angle also were investigated. RESULTS: Girls were found to have significantly greater peak pressure under the hallux, faster timing of heel contact to first metatarsal head loading, and a more medially placed center of pressure trajectory. No associations were found between these significant variables and hypermobility scores or hallux valgus angle. CONCLUSION: The results indicate that there are differences in pressure measurements between boys and girls, but the reasons for these remain unclear. Differences in pressure measurements in the feet of boys and girls may be useful in establishing the cause of foot pathologies for which a prevalence has been shown in boys or girls, such as hallux valgus deformity, which is known to be more frequent in females of all ages.
Fungal nail infections.
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The shape of the metatarsal head as a cause of hallux abductovalgus.
The curvature of the 1st metatarsal head was evaluated on 100 radiographs by calculating the functional angle of the joint surface. This measure of curvature varied positively with the degree of hallux abductovalgus (HAV). Using measures of correlation it was found that in males, the association was linear (r2=0.39, p<0.001). In females, a linear relationship was identified only after logarithmic transformation of the data (r2=0.25, p<0.001). Comparison of the functional angle between males and females showed a significant difference (t=-5.03, df=98, p<0.001).
Relationship between proximal articular set angle and hallux abducto valgus.
A study of radiographs from 50 males and 50 females was undertaken to determine whether a relationship existed between the proximal articular set angle and the hallux abductus angle. Gender differences in the relationship were also investigated. The normal range for the proximal articular set angle was -2.6 degrees to 8.6 degrees, with a mean of 5 degrees. There was no significant difference in the mean values between males and females. A positive linear correlation between the proximal articular set angle and hallux abducto valgus deformity was found (R(2) = 0.52), suggesting that an increased lateral tilt of the metatarsal head is one of the factors that lead to hallux abducto valgus deformity. The relationship between proximal articular set angle and hallux abducto valgus deformity was similar in males and females and did not account for the increased hallux deformity seen in females.
Hallux valgus (bunions).
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Hallux valgus (bunions).
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A radiographic study of the relationship between metatarsus adductus and hallux valgus.
The relationship between metatarsus adductus and hallux valgus was evaluated on 100 dorsoplantar weight-bearing radiographs. The metatarsus adductus angle varied positively with the degree of hallux valgus. By using measures of correlation, a significant linear association was found for women (r =.53, P <.001) and men (r =.48, P <.001). The relationship was strongest in women when all cases of abnormal metatarsus adductus (>24 degrees ) were associated with abnormal degrees of hallux valgus (>15 degrees ). This relationship was different in men in that abnormal metatarsus adductus angles were not always associated with abnormal hallux valgus angles. With male and female data combined, the prevalence of metatarsus adductus was 55% in subjects with hallux valgus deformity compared with 19% in subjects without hallux valgus. A Chi(2) test showed this to be a significant difference in the distribution of the data (P =.002). The data of this study suggests that there may be a clinical association between metatarsus adductus and hallux valgus. The need to further evaluate the role of metatarsus adductus angle in hallux valgus surgery is emphasized.
Size and shape differences between male and female foot bones: is the female foot predisposed to hallux abducto valgus deformity?
This study introduces a new technique to measure bone size and shape. A three-dimensional laser scan was taken of the talus, navicular, medial cuneiform, and first metatarsal from 107 skeletons of known age and sex. The bones were analyzed for differences in bone morphology between the sexes and the ability of each bone to contribute to the adducted position of the first metatarsal. Linear measurements showed that male bones were larger than female bones. Measurements of articular surfaces suggested that female bones had the potential for more movement to occur in the direction of adduction, possibly resulting in the female first metatarsal being more adducted than that in the male skeleton. Such differences may underlie the predisposition of the female foot to develop hallux valgus deformity.