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Parents often seek treatment for children’s flat feet because of concern about coordination or athletic ability. Orthotics or arch supports are often prescribed for such children, despite the lack of evidence to support their use. To examine whether flat feet affect motor skills necessary for sports performance, researchers conducted computerized footprint scans on 218 children (age range, 11–15 years) in Croatia to determine arch height and measured the children’s athletic performance. Because younger children have flatter feet, an arch index residual was calculated to eliminate the influence of age on arch height.
The children performed 17 motor tests to assess explosive power, speed, reaction time, balance, and repetitive movements. No si…