Foot Abnormalities and their Effects on Selected Kinematic Variables of Gait: A Descriptive Study on 9 – 12 Players of the Handball club of Boukadir during the 2025-2026 Season

Abstract

The study aims to identify the effect of foot congenital abnormalities on some kinematic variables for handball player’s walk. The researcher adopts a descriptive approach and used Tercel Test to measure the arch height to determine the degree of the foot deformation. To identify some kinematic variables in walking, the researcher chose a sample of 14 players aged between 9 and 12 years who are active in the amateur sports handball club in Boukadir city. The results showed that there were no statistically significant differences in some of the variables of the study, except in the variable of the knee during the mid-stance phase and in the frontal-plane knee valgus angle, there were differences between group samples according to the deformity type (flat foot, normal foot, high-arched foot).The researcher recommends the design and implementation of a corrective therapeutic training program targeting the specific type of foot deformity to be applied before considering  surgical intervention. Such a program would not only help correct or minimize the deformity during this critical growth period but would also contribute to improving future athletic performance and preserving safe, efficient gait mechanics throughout the athlete's development.