3D knitted fabric as an element of footwear for people with diabetic foot syndrome

Abstract

This article examines the anthropotechnical design of orthopedic footwear for patients with diabetic foot syndrome. A 3D spacer knitted fabric was used as a barrier between the researcher's foot and the ground. For the purpose of the research, 7–11 mm thick knitted fabrics with longitudinal elasticity from 45–90 kPa were designed and produced on a double-bar warp knitting machine. The FreeMed Professional mat was used to measure the pressures exerted by the foot on a “bare” walking surface and on the surface equipped with the spacer knitted fabric and compared, proving that in the latter case the unit pressure on the patient's foot decreased by 30%. The obtained measurements provide a good starting point for further research on the optimization of loads on human feet.