This Article Free Full Text (Free PDF) Free References Alert me when this article is cited Alert me if a correction is posted Services Email this article to a friend Similar articles in this journal Alert me to new issues of the journal Add to Saved Citations Download to citation manager Request Permissions Request Reprints Add to My Marked Citations Citing Articles Citing Articles via Google Scholar Google Scholar Articles by Evans, A. M. Articles by Iasiello, H. Search for Related Content Social Bookmarking                   What's this?

Sonographic Investigation of the Pediatric Navicular:

An Exploratory Study in Four-Year-Old Children

School of Physiotherapy and Podiatry, University of South Australia

Sheila D. Scutter, BSC(APP), GRADDIPPHYSIO, MED, PHD

School of Physiotherapy and Podiatry, University of South Australia.

Hala Iasiello, BSC, DIPAPPSC(RADIOGRAPHY), MMEDSONOGRAPHY

School of Medical Radiation, University of South Australia.

Exploring the structures of the pediatric foot may guide both clinicians and researchers toward better examination techniques. The navicular is the last foot bone to complete ossification and a crucial component of the medial column of the foot. This study explores the developing morphology of the navicular in a sample of four-year-old children using nonionizing sonographic imaging. Correlation was found between the length of the foot and the length of the navicular, with inverse correlation between navicular length and the depth of the navicular from the skin surface. There is preliminary suggestion of a critical foot length at which navicular palpation (and hence associated clinical measures) becomes more accurate. It appears that young children's feet require a different examination approach from more skeletally mature foot structures.

Key Words: navicular • foot • sonography • pediatric

CiteULike    Connotea    Del.icio.us    Digg    Reddit    Technorati    What's this?