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The purpose of this study was to determine the natural foot position and to quantify the effect of foot position on balance performance during single-leg stance. Forty healthy subjects participated in this study (age, 18 to 32 years; 24 female). Subjects were asked to perform single-leg balance trials on a balance force plate in their self-selected and four predetermined foot positions with their eyes open and closed. Sway distance, area and velocity were computed for each trial. There was significant interactions between visual conditions and foot position for all sway parameters (P<.001). With the eyes closed, sway parameters were greatest for the self-selected foot position compared to the other foot positions (P<.005). No differences in sway parameters between foot positions were detected for the eyes-open condition. Sway distance, area and velocity were 94%, 400% and 89% greater, respectively, for the eyes-closed than the eyes-open condition. Self-selected foot placement did not produce the most stable single-leg stance. The results of this study indicate that foot position is not important for protocols for assessing balance or for rehabilitation exercises using eyes-open conditions and that assessment protocols and rehabilitation exercises should clearly specify the foot position when using eyes-closed protocols.
