## 4 Discussion
Such a load being carried for a long period of time may impact back curvature positions, leading to scoliotic posture [31]. Biomechanical analyses conducted in individuals carrying a unilateral load have demonstrated that the trunk often bends towards the unloaded side of the body, causing greater hip, knee and ankle joint moments during the single stance phase [32]. Two-way adaptations have been proposed by [PERSON] et al. [33], where the active trunk flexions towards the contralateral side of the body, while the hip adducts greatly lean towards the ipsilateral side of the body. The latter relies on the fact that the trunk is somewhat pulled sideward on the ipsilateral side of the body, while the hip goes in the opposite direction towards the contralateral side. [PERSON] et al. [33] showed that of the two adaptations, the pulling force produced while carrying a unilateral load caused the trunk to bend more to the ipsilateral than the contralateral side of the body. However, the load carried in these studies was much greater (\(\geq\)10% body weight) compared to the 3.5 kg load (approximately 4% to 5% body weight) used in this study. One potential mechanism of re-positioning the handgun is moving it to the lateral side of the thigh area, which could restrict the arms from moving swiftly and repeatedly. Unfortunately, the policy in Croatia still states that a standardized police load needs to be worn around the hips, and the additional effect of carrying such a load for between 10 and 12 h per day may cause hazardous health-related outcomes in the future. Thus, special interventions and strategies aiming to change the ergonomics and design of police equipment should be implemented within the police system in order to adequately protect one's postural characteristics and utilize energy expenditure during walking and standing [5]. This study has several limitations. First, by using a cross-sectional design, we were unable to examine the longitudinal changes in static foot parameters while carrying heavy loads. Second, we tested healthy men and women between the ages of 18 and 24 who were free of any medical conditions and who could apparently handle body compensations more effectively while carrying equipment compared to more experienced police officers with different socio-demographic backgrounds. Third, we did not collect biological and physiological parameters, which may help to assess the link between static foot parameters and different loading conditions. Also, no data regarding injury history or how the load was carried were collected, limiting the possibility of expanding our findings to practical implications towards re-positioning items and exploring the potential effects of load carriages on the incidence of injuries. Moreover, no 3D kinematic and muscle activation systems were assessed, limiting our findings to be observed only through a pressure platform and a vertical projection of ground reaction forces. Finally, the participants walked barefoot over the pressure platform, potentially limiting the generalizability and applicability of the findings to the different everyday tasks of other populations in police-related fields or military personnel. Based on the aforementioned limitations, future longitudinal studies measured with sophisticated kinematic, kinetic and electromyography systems should be performed in order to establish biomechanical changes and proper re-distribution load properties for minimizing injury risk.