Do commonly used postoperative orthopaedic shoes help off-load the forefoot?
Magdalena Stawińska1, Paweł Kołodziejski2, Ida Wyszomirska1
1Józef Piłsudski University of Physical Education in Warsaw.
Acta of Bioengineering and Biomechanics
|November 30, 2021
Summary
Forefoot pressure varies significantly with orthopaedic footwear. Forefoot off-loading shoes (OrthoWedge) best reduce pressure, while rocker shoes increase it, impacting metatarsal and toe bones.
Area of Science:
- Biomechanics
- Orthopaedics
- Podiatry
Background:
- Foot pressure distribution is crucial for understanding biomechanical stress.
- Orthopaedic footwear aims to modify load bearing to aid healing and comfort.
- Limited data exists on comparative forefoot pressure under different orthopaedic shoe types.
Purpose of the Study:
- To determine forefoot pressure distribution based on different orthopaedic footwear.
- To compare load bearing characteristics of MedSurg, MedSurgPro, and OrthoWedge shoes.
Main Methods:
- 27 young women (20-25 years) participated.
- Foot pressure was measured using the Zebris FDM-2 dynamographic platform.
- Load distribution was analyzed across the full gait cycle for three footwear types.
Main Results:
- Forefoot off-loading shoes (OrthoWedge) showed the lowest loads (0.2 N/cm²).
- Rocker shoes exhibited the highest forefoot pressure (19.7 N/cm²) on metatarsal bones and hallux.
- Flat shoes showed high pressure on toes 2-5, but distributed load more evenly than rocker shoes.
Conclusions:
- OrthoWedge shoes are most effective for off-loading forefoot pressure.
- Rocker shoes concentrate pressure on the forefoot, particularly metatarsals and hallux.
- Flat shoes offer even forefoot loading but do not significantly reduce overall pressure; barefoot walking is less loading than flat or rocker shoes.
