In-shoe pressure measurement devices are used in research and clinic to quantify plantar foot pressures. Various devices are available, differing in size, sensor number and type; therefore accuracy and repeatability. Three devices (Medilogic, Tekscan and Pedar) were examined in a 2 day×3 trial design, quantifying insole response to regional and whole insole loading. The whole insole protocol ap...

Plantar heel pain is a common condition that is often exacerbated by the repetitive stresses of walking. Treatment usually includes an in-shoe intervention designed to reduce plantar pressure under the heel by using insoles and a variety of off-the-shelf products. The design process for these products is often intuitive in nature and does not always rely on scientifically derived guidelines. Fi...

As with many other aspects of the foot, the rheumatoid foot, historically, has been treated symptomatically. If there is a painful tenosynovitis, synovectomy; a painful joint not responding to drug treatment, fusion; bony prominences (including metatarsal heads), excision; if the structure collapses, a valgus 'insole'; and if all else fails, bespoke footwear and discharge. But is this good enou...

This paper introduces the design and development of a novel pressure-sensitive foot insole for real-time monitoring of plantar pressure distribution during walking. The device consists of a flexible insole with 64 pressure-sensitive elements and an integrated electronic board for high-frequency data acquisition, pre-filtering, and wireless transmission to a remote data computing/storing unit. T...

This work presents the development of a portable, wireless activity monitoring system for the estimation of biomechanical gait parameters. The system uses a pair of instrumented insoles able to measure pressure from different points of the foot including four commercial piezoresistive pressure sensors and a three-axis accelerometer, all together integrated in the insole to determine foot forces...

Introduction / objectives Each year 30 millions of foot ulcers occur worldwide and 56% of them will become infected. These infected foot ulcer represents the leading cause of lower-limb amputation in the world and shortens dramatically the lifetime of people. The reduction of high plantar pressure in patients with peripheral neuropathy such as diabetic people is mandatory for the prevention of ...

–Plantar cutaneous stimulation has been shown to improve gait in Parkinson’s disease (PD), but the effects of different types of insoles have not been tested. We evaluated the immediate effect of different types of insoles on gait in PD patients and healthy older adults. Nineteen PD patients and nineteen healthy older adults performed and performed a walking task at their self-selected speed in...

BACKGROUND Many people with multiple sclerosis experience problems with walking, which can make daily activities difficult and often leads to falls. Foot sensation plays an important role in keeping the body balanced whilst walking; however, people with multiple sclerosis often have poor sensation on the soles of their feet. Wearing a specially designed shoe insole, which enhances plantar senso...

BACKGROUND The most common method of customizing shoe insoles to the shape and surface of the foot is to heat and then mold the materials. The effect of heating on the mechanical properties of these materials is unknown. METHODS The properties of individual and common combinations of insole materials were tested before and after heating. Individual materials tested were soft Plastazote (SP), ...