Pol J Med Phys Eng 2006;12(1):25-34 PL ISSN 1425-4689 D.V. Rai, L.M. Aggarwal The Study of Plantar Pressure Distribution in Normal and Pathological Foot Department of Biophysics, Panjab University, Chandigarh–160014, India e-mail: dvrai@pu.ac.in The distribution and magnitudes of plantar pressure have been measured to identify the functional manifestations of foot disorders. Pedobarograph measurements of normal and abnormal foot were monitored during walking using computer assisted optical pedobarograph. Results showed that the peak pressures and their duration varied significantly in normal and pathological subjects. Peak pressures were also correlated with pathological conditions. The percentage contact time of heel, forefoot and toe was 59±10, 79±13, 68±20 and 39±29, 76±22, 45±43 in normal and pathological foot respectively. It was found that dynamic plantar pressure provides important information about the human gait. The data could be useful in understanding the variations in walking and orthopaedic disorders related to foot. Key words: plantar pressure, pedobarograph, gait, stance phase, contact time. Introduction In the recent years, the plantar pressure has widely been accepted as a vital biomechanical parameter to evaluate human walking. The distribution and magnitude of plantar pressure can provide useful information to diagnose the various foot disorders. Plantar pressure measurements during standing, walking or other activities can demonstrate the pathomechanics of the abnormal foot and yield objective measures to track disease progression [10]. A callus formation on the plantar surface of the foot can elevate the plantar pressure up to 30% [30]. Bony abnormalities that are observable on radiological examination may offer the possibility of predicting some of the variance