Effects of Jump Rope on Navicular Drop in Down Syndrome

Effects of Jupming Rope on Navicular Drop and Foot Posture in Children With Down Syndrome

foot posture in children with Down syndrome. The current study will be randomized control trial, data will be collected from Tanzeem ul Lissan School FSD, Children Hospital FSD and Allied Hospital FSD. The study will include 32 patients equally divided into two groups and randomly allocated. Inclusion criteria for the study will be Children between the age of 4 to 15 years with navicular drop and prone foot. Patients with visual or auditory impairment, lower limb trauma, recent Surgical Intervention on lower limb will be excluded from the study. Experimental group will perform jumping rope combined with play activities and control group will be given play activities. Data collection will be done before and after the intervention. Tools used for data collection will be Navicular Drop Test and Foot Posture Index .Data will be analyzed through SPSS version 23.00.

Study Overview

• Status: Recruiting
• Conditions: Down Syndrome
• Intervention / Treatment: Other: jumping rope and play activities; Other: play activities

Detailed Description

Navicular drop is a condition where the navicular bone descends, often leading to flatfoot and poor foot posture. This is particularly significant in children with Down syndrome, who are prone to foot structure abnormalities that can affect their mobility and overall physical activity. Children with Down syndrome frequently experience altered foot mechanics, which can contribute to navicular drop and associated complications. These biomechanical changes is crucial for developing targeted interventions that can enhance foot health and improve quality of life. The aim of this study is to investigate the effects of jumping rope and play activities on reducing navicular drop and improving foot posture in children with Down syndrome.

The current study will be randomized control trial, data will be collected from Tanzeem ul Lissan School FSD, Children Hospital FSD and Allied Hospital FSD. The study will include 32 patients equally divided into two groups and randomly allocated. Inclusion criteria for the study will be Children between the age of 4 to 15 years with navicular drop and prone foot. Patients with visual or auditory impairment, lower limb trauma, recent Surgical Intervention on lower limb will be excluded from the study. Experimental group will perform jumping rope combined with play activities and control group will be given play activities. Data collection will be done before and after the intervention. Tools used for data collection will be Navicular Drop Test and Foot Posture Index .Data will be analyzed through SPSS version 23.00.

• Study Type: Interventional
• Enrollment (Estimated): 32
• Phase: Not Applicable

Contacts and Locations

• Study Contact: Name: Muhammad Asif Javed, MS-PT; Phone Number: 923224209422; Email: a.javed@riphah.edu.pk
• Study Contact Backup: Name: IMRAN AMJAD, Ph.D; Phone Number: 9233224390125; Email: imran.amjad@riphah.edu.pk

Study Locations

• Pakistan
  • Punjab Province
    • Lahore, Punjab Province, Pakistan, 54000
      • Recruiting
      • Model Town Football Club [Recruiting]
      • Contact: Muhammad Asif Javed, MS-PT; Phone Number: 923224209422; Email: a.javed@riphah.edu.pk

Participation Criteria

Eligibility Criteria

• Ages Eligible for Study: Child
• Accepts Healthy Volunteers: No

Description

Inclusion Criteria:

• age of 4 to 15 years
• navicular drop
• prone foot
• Acute musculoskeletal injuries
• Normal: 5-10 mm
• Excessive Drop: >10 mm (indicating possible flatfoot)
• Minimal Drop: <5 mm (indicating a higher arch)

Exclusion Criteria:

• visual or auditory impairment
• lower limb trauma
• recent Surgical Intervention on lower limb
• Non- compliance and behavioral issue
• Inability to participate

Study Plan

How is the study designed?

Design Details

• Primary Purpose: Other
• Allocation: Randomized
• Interventional Model: Parallel Assignment
• Masking: Single

Number of Arms

2

Arms and Interventions

Participant Group / Arm	Intervention / Treatment
Active Comparator: Group A: Group A will perform jumping rope combined with play activities. The program will focus on strengthening and improving the functionality of foot and ankle muscles, promoting better balance and posture. The program will include jumping rope and play activities (one-leg hopping game, walking games on toes, reverse rope walk, straight rope walk, bottle rolling walk, pick and drop game) and these games will be performed to improve the arch, muscle strength, and endurance of foot muscles. The intensity of the jumping rope and play activities will gradually be increased depending on the patient's improvement in activity performance by decreasing the amount or degree of passive support, changing the patient's position, and adjusting the sets and repetitions of activities. Duration period to perform the activities is for 30 mint per session 5 days a week for six weeks.	Other: jumping rope and play activities; jumping rope will focus on strengthening and improving the functionality of foot and ankle muscles, promoting better balance and posture. jumping rope and play activities (one-leg hopping game,walking games on toes, reverse rope walk, straight rope walk, bottle rolling walk,pick and drop game) and these games will be performed to improve the arch, muscle strength, and endurance of foot muscles. The intensity of the jumping rope and play activities will gradually be increased depending on the patient's improvement in activity performance by decreasing the amount or degree of passive support, changing the patient's position, and adjusting the sets and repetitions of activities.
Active Comparator: group B; Group B will perform Play Activities .Play Activites are all dynamic activities commonly used to improve balance, coordination, and foot function, especially in children. These exercises engage various muscles of the lower limbs, improving proprioception, stability, and strength. For children with foot postural deviations like navicular drop, these activities can help reduce excessive pronation and strengthen the foot's arch. Duration period to perform the excercises is for 30 mint per session 5 days a week for six weeks.Data will be assessed by assessor at baseline and at the end o of treatment (Pre and post).	Other: play activities; Group B will perform Play Activities .Play Activites are all dynamic activities commonly used to improve balance, coordination, and foot function, especially in children. These exercises engage various muscles of the lower limbs, improving proprioception, stability, and strength. For children with foot postural deviations like navicular drop, these activities can help reduce excessive pronation and strengthen the foot's arch. Duration period to perform the excercises is for 30 mint per session 5 days a week for six weeks.Data will be assessed by assessor at baseline and at the end o of treatment (Pre and post).

What is the study measuring?

Primary Outcome Measures

Outcome Measure	Measure Description	Time Frame
foot posture index-6	The patient should be instructed to stand still, with their arms by the side and looking straight ahead.	30 minutes per session 5 days a week for six weeks.
navicular drop test	Navicular Drop Test (NDT) using a ruler or digital caliper.Measures the difference in navicular height between sitting (non-weight-bearing) and standing (weight-bearing) positions.	30 minutes per session 5 days a week for six weeks.

Collaborators and Investigators

• Sponsor: Riphah International University
• Investigators: Principal Investigator: Adil Munir, MS-PT, Study Principal Investigator Riphah International University

Publications and helpful links

General Publications

• Shultz SJ, Carcia CR, Gansneder BM, Perrin DH. The independent and interactive effects of navicular drop and quadriceps angle on neuromuscular responses to a weight-bearing perturbation. J Athl Train. 2006 Jul-Sep;41(3):251-9.

Study record dates

Study Major Dates

• Study Start (Actual): October 28, 2025
• Primary Completion (Estimated): February 20, 2026
• Study Completion (Estimated): February 23, 2026

Study Registration Dates

• First Submitted: November 17, 2025
• First Submitted That Met QC Criteria: February 23, 2026
• First Posted (Actual): February 24, 2026

Study Record Updates

• Last Update Posted (Actual): February 24, 2026
• Last Update Submitted That Met QC Criteria: February 23, 2026
• Last Verified: February 1, 2026

More Information

Terms related to this study

• Keywords: Down Syndrome; foot posture; navicular drop; foot muscle deformities; play activities; jumping rope
• Additional Relevant MeSH Terms: Neurologic Manifestations; Nervous System Diseases; Genetic Diseases, Inborn; Neurobehavioral Manifestations; Congenital Abnormalities; Abnormalities, Multiple; Intellectual Disability; Chromosome Disorders; Congenital, Hereditary, and Neonatal Diseases and Abnormalities; Down Syndrome
• Other Study ID Numbers: REC/RCR&AHS/MEHAKTAHREEM

Plan for Individual participant data (IPD)

• Plan to Share Individual Participant Data (IPD)?: NO

Drug and device information, study documents

• Studies a U.S. FDA-regulated drug product: No
• Studies a U.S. FDA-regulated device product: No