TITLE:
Aesthetic Aspects and Morphotypes of the Forefeet in a Congolese Population, Democratic Republic of Congo
AUTHORS:
Anatole Kibadi-Kapay, Dina Babala-Bulaba, Joyce-Euphrasie Kibadi-Kisita
KEYWORDS:
Aesthetic Aspects, Morphotypes, Forefoot, Democratic Republic of Congo
JOURNAL NAME:
Modern Plastic Surgery,
Vol.15 No.2,
March
13,
2025
ABSTRACT: Objectives: This work aimed to determine the aesthetic aspects and morphotypes of the forefeet in a Congolese population (Democratic Republic of Congo) by comparing the length of the toes. Methods: This was a prospective study to compare toe length in a Congolese population (Democratic Republic of Congo). Through simple random sampling, we recruited 72 students from the University of Kinshasa. This study was carried out over a period of 3 months, from July 1 to September 30, 2024. Results: By simple random sampling, this prospective study recruited 72 Congolese including 36 women and 36 men. The average age was 25.58 ± 3.21 years with a maximum of 36 years and a minimum of 18 years. Concerning the morphotypes of the forefoot, we observed 50 Egyptian feet (type A) or 69.4% of the cases, 13 Roman feet (type B) or 18% of the cases and 9 Greek feet (type C) or 12.5% of the cases. The Egyptian foot (type A, pyramidal shape or curved shape of the toes) was therefore widely represented with 69% of the cases observed. In our study population, concerning the shoe sizes, we observed that type A forefoot (Egyptian foot) was much more the preserve of size 37; those of type B (Roman foot) were divided equally (50%) between sizes 36 and 43. The forefoot of type C (Greek foot) wore more size 39. We noted that the Greek foot (type C, triangular shape of the toes) was more likely to cause pain when putting on shoes (55,5%). Concerning aesthetic aspects, 63 respondents (87.5%) considered the Egyptian type the most beautiful, 6 (8.3%) the Greek type and 3 (4.1%) the Roman type. Conclusion: Beyond the susceptibility to developing a certain number of deformations and pathologies, the choice of shoes should be adapted to the morphotype of the forefoot to ensure walking comfort both when walking and when standing. In this Congolese population surveyed, the Egyptian foot is the most observed and also considered the most beautiful.