Regional Associations Between Q-Angle and Plantar Loading in Active Young Adults

Region-Specific Associations Between Q-Angle and Plantar Loading in Physically Active Young Adults

This observational study aims to examine the association between Q-angle and plantar loading characteristics in physically active young adults. Q-angle is a commonly used clinical measure of lower-extremity alignment, but its relationship with regional plantar loading during gait remains unclear. Participants will undergo bilateral Q-angle assessment and plantar pressure evaluation during walking. The study will investigate whether Q-angle is associated with specific plantar loading variables across different foot regions in active young adults.

Study Overview

• Status: Completed
• Conditions: Q-angle; Plantar Loading Patterns
• Intervention / Treatment: Diagnostic test: Q-angle and plantar pressure assessment

Detailed Description

This observational study is designed to investigate the association between Q-angle and plantar loading characteristics in physically active young adults. Q-angle is a commonly used measure of lower-extremity alignment, but its relationship with regional plantar loading during gait has not been fully clarified.

Participants will undergo bilateral Q-angle assessment under standardized conditions and dynamic pedobarographic evaluation during walking. Plantar pressure variables will be obtained for different foot regions, including the toes, forefoot, midfoot, hindfoot, and total foot. The primary objective is to determine whether Q-angle is associated with selected regional plantar loading variables. Secondary analyses will explore whether these associations differ according to sex and limb dominance.

Statistical analyses will be performed using linear mixed-effects models to account for within-subject dependence between bilateral measurements.This study focuses on the relationship between lower-extremity alignment and regional plantar loading patterns in physically active young adults.

• Study Type: Observational
• Enrollment (Actual): 92

Contacts and Locations

Study Locations

• Turkey (Türkiye)
  • Istanbul, Turkey (Türkiye), 34864
    • Marmara University, Faculty of Health Sciences

Participation Criteria

Eligibility Criteria

• Ages Eligible for Study: Adult
• Accepts Healthy Volunteers: Yes

• Sampling Method: Non-Probability Sample

Study Population

Physically active young adults aged 18 years and older who were able to walk independently and had no current lower-extremity injury, neurological disorder, or other condition affecting gait or plantar loading. Participants underwent Q-angle measurement and plantar pressure assessment during walking.

Description

Inclusion Criteria:

(1) being within the predefined young age range, (2) being physically active according to the IPAQ-SF based assessment, and (3) willingness to participate voluntarily.

Exclusion Criteria:

(1) history of lower extremity injury within the previous 6 months, (2) previous lower extremity surgery, (3) known neurological or vestibular disorder affecting gait or balance, (4) current musculoskeletal pain in the spine or lower extremities during assessment, (5) diagnosed structural lower extremity deformity, and (6) inability to complete the assessment procedures independently.

Study Plan

How is the study designed?

Number of groups / cohorts

1

Cohorts and Interventions

Group / Cohort	Intervention / Treatment
Physically active young adults; Physically active young adults who underwent Q-angle measurement and plantar pressure assessment during walking. No therapeutic intervention was applied.	Diagnostic test: Q-angle and plantar pressure assessment; Participants underwent Q-angle measurement and plantar pressure assessment during walking for observational evaluation. No therapeutic or preventive intervention was applied.

What is the study measuring?

Primary Outcome Measures

Outcome Measure	Measure Description	Time Frame
Association between Q-angle and regional pedobarography outcomes	Regional plantar pressure, force, contact area, and contact time outcomes assessed in relation to Q-angle.	At baseline

Collaborators and Investigators

• Sponsor: Harran University
• Collaborators: Marmara University
• Investigators: Principal Investigator: Veysel Akduman, PhD, Marmara University; Principal Investigator: Veysel akduman, PhD, Harran University

Publications and helpful links

General Publications

• G.J. Dowling, G.S. Murley, S.E. Munteanu, M.M. Smith, B.S. Neal, I.B. Griffiths, C.J. Barton, N.J. Collins, Dynamic foot function as a risk factor for lower limb overuse injury: A systematic review, J. Foot Ankle Res. 7 (2014) 53, https://doi.org/10.1186/s13047-014-0053-6.
• H.D. Harvey, C. Game, T.P. Walsh, S.C. Wearing, S.R. Platt, Are models of plantar heel pain suitable for competitive runners? A narrative review, J. Orthop. 33 (2022) 9-14, https://doi.org/10.1016/j.jor.2022.06.011.
• B.R. Freedman, T.J. Brindle, F.T. Sheehan, Re-evaluating the functional implications of the Q-angle and its relationship to in-vivo patellofemoral kinematics, Clin. Biomech. 29 (2014) 1139-1145, https://doi.org/10.1016/j.clinbiomech.2014.09.012.
• Z. Hu, Y. Zhang, T. Dong, M. Dong, S. Kim, Y. Kim, Gender differences in neuromuscular control during the preparation phase of single-leg landing task in badminton, J. Clin. Med. 12 (2023) 3296, https://doi.org/10.3390/jcm12093296.
• O.E. Lee, T.M. Braun, Permutation tests for random effects in linear mixed models, Biometrics 68 (2012) 486-493, https://doi.org/10.1111/j.1541-0420.2011.01675.x.
• M.S. Setia, Methodology series module 3: Cross-sectional studies, Indian J. Dermatol. 61 (2016) 261-264, https://doi.org/10.4103/0019-5154.182410.
• X. Cen, D. Xu, J.S. Baker, Y. Gu, Association of arch stiffness with plantar impulse distribution during walking, running, and gait termination, Int. J. Environ. Res. Public Health 17 (2020) 2090, https://doi.org/10.3390/ijerph17062090.

Study record dates

Study Major Dates

• Study Start (Actual): December 22, 2025
• Primary Completion (Actual): January 23, 2026
• Study Completion (Actual): March 6, 2026

Study Registration Dates

• First Submitted: March 18, 2026
• First Submitted That Met QC Criteria: March 24, 2026
• First Posted (Actual): March 30, 2026

Study Record Updates

• Last Update Posted (Actual): March 30, 2026
• Last Update Submitted That Met QC Criteria: March 24, 2026
• Last Verified: March 1, 2026

More Information

Terms related to this study

• Keywords: Young adults; Pedobarography; Q angle; Lower extremity alignment; Plantar loading; Foot biomechanics
• Other Study ID Numbers: HRÜ/25.20.26 (Other Identifier: Harran University)

Plan for Individual participant data (IPD)

• Plan to Share Individual Participant Data (IPD)?: UNDECIDED
• IPD Plan Description: Individual participant data sharing has not yet been determined. Any future data sharing will depend on ethical approval, participant consent, institutional policies, and data de-identification requirements.

Drug and device information, study documents

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