Medical Journal of the Islamic Republic Of Iran

en Combined Core Stability and Short Foot Exercises Improve Medial Longitudinal Arch and Dynamic Balance More Than Short Foot Exercises Alone in Female Child Badminton Players with Pes Planus: A Randomized Controlled Trial Sports and Exercise Medicine Sports and Exercise Medicine Original Research Original Research Background: Badminton involves rapid, multidirectional movements and unilateral landings that impose substantial mechanical stress on the foot–ankle complex. Athletes with pes planus are at an increased risk of instability and injury due to altered kinetic chain function. While short foot exercises (SFE) enhance medial longitudinal arch (MLA) integrity in individuals with flat feet, core stability training (CST) is increasingly incorporated into sports rehabilitation programs. However, the effects of CST on pes planus remain insufficiently explored. This study investigates the combined effects of CST and SFE on MLA integrity and dynamic balance in semi-professional female badminton players with pes planus.    Methods: In this randomized controlled trial, 30 female badminton players aged 9–12 years with mild to moderate pes planus (Staheli Arch Index [SAI]: 0.70–1.15) were randomly allocated to either a combined training group (CST + SFE) or a control group (SFE only). Following attrition, 24 participants (12 per group) completed the study and were included in the final analysis. Both groups trained three times per week for eight weeks under professional supervision. MLA function and dynamic balance were assessed using the Staheli Arch Index (SAI) and the Star Excursion Balance Test (SEBT), respectively. Between-group differences were analyzed using analysis of covariance (ANCOVA), with baseline values included as covariates.    Results: Both groups improved post-intervention, with the experimental group (SFE+CST) showing significantly greater enhancements than the control (SFE) in both foot arch structure (SAI decreased by 14% vs. 7.0%) and dynamic balance (SEBT composite increased by 5.22% vs. 1.86%). ANCOVA revealed a significant main effect for group on post-intervention SAI (F(1,21)=611.74, P<0.001, η2=0.97, mean difference = 0.07) and SEBT composite score (F(1,21)=3695.82, P<0.001, η2=0.99, mean difference = 3.36). Despite a violation of the homogeneity of regression slopes for SAI, pairwise comparisons confirmed the superior efficacy of the combined training over short foot exercises alone.    Conclusion: An eight-week combined CST and SFE program significantly improved MLA height and dynamic balance compared to SFE alone. It is recommended to integrate proximal (core) and distal (foot) exercises to enhance postural control, support the correction of pes planus, and enhance athletic performance in young badminton players.   Core Stability, Short Foot Exercise, Pes Planus, Medial Longitudinal Arch, Dynamic Balance, Badminton 749 757 http://mjiri.iums.ac.ir/browse.php?a_code=A-10-7992-5&slc_lang=en&sid=1 Arash Khaledi arashkhaledi@iau.ac.ir 200319475328460099415 200319475328460099415 No Department of Physical Education and Sport Sciences, Ma.C., Islamic Azad University, Mashhad, Iran Behnaz Sotodeh Rad behnaz.s.rad@gmail.com 200319475328460099416 200319475328460099416 No Department of Sports Science, Kish International Campus, Kish, Iran Shahrzad Zandi shzandi@ut.ac.ir 200319475328460099417 200319475328460099417 Yes Department of Sports Injury and Biomechanics, Faculty of Sport Sciences and Health, University of Tehran, Tehran, Iran