Open AccessIs it possible to predict optimal rocker shoe design using barefoot gait parameters?
Author(s) -
Chapman Jonathan D,
Preece Stephen J,
Nester Christopher J,
Braunstein Bjoern,
Höhne Angela,
Brüggermann GertPeter
Publication year - 2014
Publication title -
journal of foot and ankle research
Language(s) - English
Resource type - Journals
SCImago Journal Rank - 0.763
H-Index - 39
ISSN - 1757-1146
DOI - 10.1186/1757-1146-7-s1-a65
Subject(s) - barefoot , medicine , gait , physical medicine and rehabilitation , rehabilitation , gait analysis , physical therapy
Curved rocker shoes are routinely prescribed for people with diabetes in order reduce in-shoe plantar pressures. However, previous research has shown that different individuals may require different rocker outsole geometries in order to optimise pressure reduction [1, 2]. This has led some researchers to suggest that every individual should try a range of possible outsole designs to identify the design which maximises pressure reduction [1]. However, this process may not be feasible in a clinical setting. Given that plantar pressure has been shown to depend on specific gait variables [3], it may be possible to develop an algorithm which could predict an individual’s pressure response to a specific rocker outsole design using an input of gait data. Such an algorithm would remove the need to try on a large number of pairs of rocker shoes.