When Correcting the Collapse of Arches of the Feet with Custom Orthotics, are Other Areas of the Body Effected? A Revolutionary Approach towards Reduced Injuries and Better Outcomes

Abstract

Orthotics and custom-made insoles have been used for decades for both professional and recreational athletes but are not always associated with a desirable outcome. In fact, more often than expected, they are associated with worsening of pain and ailments in the back and pelvis area. Our goal is to explain why some orthotics fail to tackle unevenly distributed weight-and load-bearing and to introduce a new measurement method that could help all healthcare professionals to identify, classify and finally treat their patients in a biomechanically optimal manner. To do so, we performed a 3D digital laser foot scan in each of the 351 participants in this study and ordered the custom made orthotic accordingly. Then, two A-P Lumbo-Sacral digital x-rays were obtained, the first with the patient being barefoot and the second while wearing the custom orthotics inside tied shoes. Our results showed a significant alteration in femoral head height difference (fhhd) which was consistent with each patient's clinical findings. That sequence also helped us to identify five different biomechanically flawed patterns and to conclude that each patient falls into one of these five categories. Should this be applied to every human being, it might be a giant leap in preventing most musculoskeletal injuries from happening in the first place.