Background Plantar heel pain is one of the most common musculoskeletal conditions affecting the foot and it is commonly experienced by older adults. Contoured foot orthoses and some heel inserts have been found to be effective for plantar heel pain, however the mechanism by which they achieve their effects is largely unknown. The aim of this study was to investigate the effects of foot orthoses...

Stance control knee orthoses (SCOs) have become very popular recently. However, there is little information regarding opinions of actual orthosis users. The purpose of this study was to quantify the users' opinions of a SCO, and see whether factors found important for knee orthoses in past studies hold true for a stance control orthosis as well. A standardized survey was employed as part of a l...

OBJECTIVE To compare neuromotor development between patients who did and those who did not undergo intrauterine myelomeningocele repair. METHODS Children with myelomeningocele aged between 3.5 and 6 years who did undergo intrauterine repair (Group A, n=6) or not (Group B; n=7) were assessed for neuromotor development at both anatomical and functional levels, need for orthoses, and cognitive f...

Orthotic devices have been shown to successfully modify selected aspects of lower extremity mechanics and enhance foot stability during the support phase of running. It was hypothesized that orthotic intervention would relieve excessive strain on the ankle ligaments and reduce postural sway, especially in subjects with acute ankle sprains. The primary purpose of this study was to determine if o...

BACKGROUND Orthotic devices are used to help children progressively acquire a more physiologic walking pattern. METHODS To determine the effect of an orthotic device with an out-toeing wedge along with a physiologic shoe as treatment for in-toed gait, angle of gait was measured in 48 children aged 3 to 14 years with in-toed gait. The following comparisons were made: angle of gait in children ...

OBJECTIVE The objective of this study was to analyze and compare the effectiveness of two types of abduction orthotics used for the feet, the Denis-Browne type (traditional) and the Dobbs type (dynamic), with regard to maintenance of deformity correction and prevention of recurrence . METHOD In this comparative retrospective case study, information was collected from the medical records of ch...

BACKGROUND Oral therapies and chemodenervation procedures are often unrewarding in the treatment of focal, task-specific hand disorders such as writer's cramp or primary writing tremor (PWT). METHODS A portable writing orthotic device (WOD) was evaluated on 15 consecutively recruited writer's cramp and PWT subjects. We measured overall impairment at baseline and after 2 weeks of at-home use w...

OBJECTIVE To evaluate the effects of varying numbers of layers of plaster of Paris bandages on the mechanical properties of specimens used on the construction of orthopedic splints. METHODS Rectangular plate-shaped and cylinder-shaped specimens were constructed and assigned to two groups simulating plaster slabs and cast and further divided into six subgroups according to the number of layers...

Rheumatoid arthritis of the foot and ankle can be a debilitating problem, particularly for patients who have undergone successful hip or knee arthroplasty. Optimal medical management, use of orthotic devices, and surgical intervention are essential components of patient care. Forefoot involvement with hallux valgus and lesser metatarsophalangeal joint subluxation and dislocation are the most co...