... of the metatarsals, the plantar fascia supports the foot against downward forces.1 The majority of forces that act on the plantar fascia causing problems take place while weight bearing. Despite a lack of significant movement from the plantar fascia itself other structures related to both walking and running must be examined to fully understand the kinematics. The dynamic functions of the foot during walking include a flexible foot to accommodate the variations in the external environment, a semi-rigid foot which can act as a spring and lever arm for the push-off during gait and a rigid foot to enable body weight to be carried with adequate stability.4,7 To understand the basic gait pattern the whole kinetic chain needs to be examined, by starting at the pelvis and progressing down the leg, these kinematics can be described as follows. During walking, pelvic rotation causes the femur, fibula, and tibia to ...

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