Introduction: Overuse injuries are an issue within ballet dance, where plantar fasciitis is one. However, research of the biomechanical risk factors, which can cause plantar fasciitis during ballet jump landings, is sparse. Therefore, the aim of the present study is to 1) investigate the MTPJ motion and lower limb loadings during different ballet jump landings and 2) suggest alternative implementations during ballet jump landings to prevent the occurrence of plantar fasciitis.
Methods: Four ballet dancers participated in the present study. The dancers performed multiple Sautés in First Position, Relevés Sur le Cou-de-Pied Derriere, Grand Jeté, and Grand Pas de Chat jump landings on a force platform. The participants wore foot thongs, while a three-segment kinematic model of the foot and shank was used to provide a more detailed understanding of the metatarsophalangeal joint (MTPJ) and ankle joint postures during landings.
Results: The results indicate high vertical ground reaction force (vGRF) peaks during the Grand Jeté and Grand Pas de Chat landings. The highest negative ankle power peaks are registered during the Grand Pas de Chat landings, while the Grand Jeté landings illustrate larger MTPJ dorsiflexion angle at vGRF peak compared with the Grand Pas de Chat landings. Furthermore, Participant 2 demonstrates much higher MTPJ angles and MTPJ negative angular velocities at vGRF peaks during the Grand Jeté and Grand Pas de Chat landings compared with Participant 1.
Conclusion: Sprung floors, additional shoe cushioning, and eccentric muscle training programs may reduce the ankle joint and MTPJ loadings during ballet jump landings, and thereby reduce the risk for developing plantar fasciitis.