Foot Strength and Function Across the Lifespan: From Development to Pathological Foot Conditions

The human foot is a complex and adaptable structure. It supports the body, absorbs impact and contributes to balance and propulsion during standing and movement. Foot strength and function change across the lifespan due to growth, physical activity, footwear, ageing, injury and disease. Yet it remains unclear how foot structure, muscle capacity and neuromuscular control interact during movement. A lifespan perspective can help us understand the typical development of foot function, its adaptation to physical demands and its decline with ageing or pathology. Greater insight into these processes may improve assessment and guide preventive, training and rehabilitation strategies for children, active adults, athletes and older people. It may also benefit individuals with musculoskeletal, neurological or metabolic foot conditions.This Research Topic aims to improve our understanding of how foot strength and function develop and decline across the lifespan. It will also explore how these processes relate to injury and pathology. The collection will bring together multidisciplinary research on foot morphology, muscle function, sensory feedback and mechanical behaviour. It will also consider how these factors influence whole-body movement.A central goal is to connect fundamental knowledge of foot development and biomechanics with clinically relevant outcomes. These include balance, mobility, physical activity, athletic performance and quality of life. Pain and injury risk are also important areas of interest. The collection will encourage critical evaluation and greater standardisation of methods used to assess foot strength and function.By combining evidence from developmental, sporting and clinical populations as well as older adults, this Research Topic seeks to identify both shared mechanisms and population-specific features. Ultimately, it aims to support valid assessment methods and targeted interventions that maintain or restore foot function throughout life.We welcome original research, systematic and scoping reviews, meta-analyses, methodological studies and perspectives addressing foot strength and function across the lifespan. Relevant themes include:• Development and maturation of foot structure and function • Intrinsic and extrinsic foot-muscle strength, morphology, activation, and fatigue • Neuromuscular and sensory control of the foot • Relationships between foot structure, strength, and dynamic movement • Foot function during walking, running, balance, jumping, and sport-specific tasks • Effects of ageing, physical activity, training, footwear, and orthoses • Foot-related pain, injury, deformity, and musculoskeletal, neurological, or metabolic conditions • Assessment methods, normative data, measurement properties, and emerging technologies • Preventive, therapeutic, and rehabilitation interventions Submissions should clearly describe the population and measurement methods, consider relevant age- or pathology-related factors, and explain the clinical, biomechanical, or functional significance of their findings. Interdisciplinary and longitudinal studies are particularly encouraged. Topic editors: Kevin Deschamps, Paul-André DELEU Source: https://www.frontiersin.org/research-topics/83938/foot-strength-and-function-across-the-lifespan-from-development-to-pathological-foot-conditions