BACKGROUND Degradation of the somatosensory system has been implicated in postural instability and increased falls risk for older people and Parkinson's disease (PD) patients. Here we demonstrate that textured insoles provide a passive intervention that is an inexpensive and accessible means to enhance the somatosensory input from the plantar surface of the feet. METHODS 20 healthy older adul...

BACKGROUND The capacity of the plantar sole of the foot to convey information about foot position is reduced by conventional smooth boot insoles, compared with barefoot surface contact. OBJECTIVE To test the hypothesis that movement discrimination may be restored by inserting textured replacement insoles, achieved by changing footwear conditions and measuring the accuracy of judgments of the ...

BACKGROUND Evidence suggests that textured insoles can alter gait and standing balance by way of enhanced plantar tactile stimulation. However, to date, this has not been explored in older people at risk of falling. This study investigated the immediate effect of wearing textured insoles on gait and double-limb standing balance in older fallers. METHODS Thirty older adults >65 years (21 women...

The effects of a custom moulded insole and a rockerbar on peak pressure and force impulse as well as on pain scores in subjects with a history of metatarsalgia were studied. In addition the subjects' preference for the type of intervention was determined. Forty-two subjects with a history of primary metatarsalgia were selected. They were all provided with the same brand of extra depth shoes wit...

OBJECTIVE To evaluate the effectiveness of various orthotic treatments for patients with isolated medial compartment osteoarthritis. DESIGN Prospective cohort study with sequential interventions. SETTING University-affiliated hospital, Hong Kong. PATIENTS From December 2010 to November 2011, 10 patients with medial knee osteoarthritis were referred by orthopaedic surgeons for orthotic tre...

The insole shape and the resulting plantar stress distribution have a pivotal impact on overall health. In this paper, by Finite Element Method, maximum stress value and stress distribution of plantar were studied for different insoles designs, which are the flat surface and the custom-molded (conformal) surface. Moreover, insole thickness, heel's height, and different materials were used to mi...

The purpose of this study was to analyze foot pressure distribution of shape memory materials functional insole. Comfort is an important aspect for footwear and insole. Footwear and insole comfort has an influence on injury [1,2]. The development of new materials is considered as the important point for manufacturing functional insole [3,4]. Ten healthy male (mean height: 174.7±4.0 cm, mean bod...

BACKGROUND Age-related loss of foot-sole cutaneous sensation is very common and is associated with impaired balance control. This study investigated the effect of a balance-enhancing insole (designed to facilitate foot-sole sensation) on lateral gait stability and evaluated its effectiveness in daily life. METHODS Forty community-dwelling older adults (age 65-75) with moderate loss of foot-so...