5. DISCUSSION

DISCUSSION

The purpose of this study was to observe how heel height affects the joint angles of the knee and ankle, as well as how it affects one’s stride length and step length. We hypothesized that an increase in heel height would be correlated with an increase in plantar flexion, an increase in knee flexion, and a decrease in both step and stride length. After assessing both subjects in all three conditions: barefoot, low high heels (2"), and tall high heels (4"), the majority of this hypothesis can be proven correct. In both subjects' ankles, plantar flexion steadily increased as heel height increased, which can be seen in Figure 4. There were no obvious discrepancies with this measure. Similarly, this study validated the idea that knee flexion would increase with heel height. As seen in Figure 1, both Subject 1 and Subject 2 displayed a steady increase in knee flexion. There were no outliers in this set of data. Figure 2 is a representation of the changes in stride length produced as a result of an increase in heel height. As mentioned in the results section, Subject 2 exhibited the expected steady decrease in stride length. Subject 1, on the other hand, saw an increase in stride length followed by a decrease. This was not predicted, but is likely a result of the limitations that will be discussed. Step and stride lengths are different, yet dependent on one another. Thus, the general trend of one very closely mirrors the other. The same increase and then decrease in stride length for Subject 2 was also seen in step length. Again, this trend is likely due to a limitation in data collection. Lastly, the step length of Subject 2 decreased progressively, which perfectly aligned with the hypothesized expectations. Overall, the general trend of each category matches the hypothesis well, and thus, we would accept it.

Despite the fact facilitators of this study took several precautions to prevent error, there still are limitations that could have influenced how heel height affects various aspects of the subjects' gait. For example, when placing the marker on the hip joint, facilitators had to place the marker on top of the subjects' clothing. Both subjects were wearing shorts that were not skin tight, which made it unclear as to whether the hip joint was moving, or whether the clothes were moving. Another limitation to think about is that both subjects had to complete two trials walking in each type of footwear. This limitation could have caused the subjects to become more comfortable walking in high heels, which could have in turn increased their step and stride length. Overall, this study had a very small sample size of only two people, which makes it unclear as to whether or not the results produced from this study are truly generalizable to everyone else.

This experiment serves clinical significance as many individuals frequently wear this type of footwear. Although these results indicated only a slight change in ankle and knee angle during high heel use, this slight change may have a rippling effect on the entire gait cycle. In addition, changes in step and stride length are capable of affecting the stability of one's stance, leaving the individual at risk for falling and injury. These findings suggest that individuals with ankle or knee pain should be advised to avoid wearing high heels.

For future research, this study should be replicated with more subjects. To make findings more generalizable to a larger population, this study should incude a bigger and more diverse sample size. Some of these future participants may include novice and experienced high heel wearers and individuals of varying ages and weights. Further research needs to be conducted on wearing high heels for an extended period to determine how it impacts the individual's physiological structure and other involved mechanisms. Additionally, future research should conduct more studies that follow participants over a long period of time to determine better the long-term negative effects of high heel use on the body. Going forward, research should be geared towards finding preventative measures one can take that will limit the negative effects heels can have on one's gait cycle.