3 Chapter 1: Introduction 4 7 Chapter 2: Related Work 8 28 Chapter 3: Approach & Methodology 29 – 39 Chapter 4: Description of the Augmented Tango Shoe System 40 46 Chapter 5: Design, Implementation, Results, & Discussion 47 58 Chapter 6: Conclusion & Future Work 59 – 60 Appendix A: Acronyms 61 Bibliography 62 68 Mapping Strategies for the Augmented Tango Shoe

Background Unstable shoe designs should support the muscle activity and promise the treatment of leg, back and foot problems. According to manufacturers, they should activate additional muscles and reduce joint reaction forces. Goal of this study is to investigate the effect of an unstable shoe design to gait patterns of healthy volunteers and by the means of inverse dynamic multi-body simulation.

OBJECTIVE To compare the effectiveness of total-contact casts (TCCs), removable cast walkers (RCWs), and half-shoes to heal neuropathic foot ulcerations in individuals with diabetes. RESEARCH DESIGN AND METHODS In this prospective clinical trial, 63 patients with superficial noninfected, nonischemic diabetic plantar foot ulcers were randomized to one of three off-loading modalities: TCC, half...

BACKGROUND Previous reports have indicated an excess of leukaemia in Broome County, New York, particularly in the Town of Union. Surveillance of cancer incidence data indicates that a large proportion of these cases occurred among males ages 65 and older. Shoe and boot manufacturing has been the largest single industry in this area throughout much of the past century. Occupational studies from ...

OBJECTIVES To date, few rigorous scientific studies have been conducted to understand the impact mechanics and muscle activation characteristics of different landing tasks and the influence of shoe properties. The aim of this study was to examine the effects of shoe cushioning on impact biomechanics and muscular responses during drop landings. DESIGN A single-blinded and randomized design. ...

BACKGROUND Evaluating shoes during sport-related movements may provide a better assessment of plantar loads associated with repetitive injury and provide more specific data for comparing shoe cushioning characteristics. HYPOTHESIS Accelerating, cutting, and jumping pressures will be higher than in straight running, differentiating regional shoe cushioning performance in sport-specific movemen...

OBJECTIVE To study whether conservative correction in a leg-length discrepancy (LLD) of 10mm or less in patients with chronic low back pain (CLBP) can relieve pain. DESIGN Randomized, controlled intervention study, with a mean follow-up duration of 10 weeks. SETTING Physical therapy clinic of the national health services. PARTICIPANTS Thirty-three patients with CLBP were screened for an L...

Running economy is a reflection of the amount of inspired oxygen required to maintain a given velocity 10 and is considered a determining factor for running performance. Athletic footwear has been advocated as a mechanism by which running economy can be enhanced. New commercially available footwear has been developed in order to increase energy return, although their efficacy has not been inves...

BACKGROUND Dimethyl fumarate (DMF) has been identified as being responsible for an outbreak of shoe contact dermatitis in Europe. All reported cases to date have involved the dorsa of the toes and the dorsa of the feet, sometimes in association with other areas. OBJECTIVES To establish a correlation between the site of the lesions and the concentration of DMF in different parts of the footwea...

The European shoe industry has experienced significant challenges in the last 20 years, mainly due to the pressures of modern global markets in which the industry has to compete with competitors from low labour cost countries in Asia and the Far East. A new trend is now forecast concerning the mass customization of shoes, where customers choose and order customized shoes from a range of predefi...