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Does Scanner Choice Matter for the Design of Foot Orthosis?
Komal Chhikara1,2,3, Sinduja Suresh1,2,3,4, Scott Morrison5
1School of Mechanical, Medical and Process Engineering, Faculty of Engineering, Queensland University of Technology, Brisbane, QLD 4000, Australia.
Sensors (Basel, Switzerland)
|February 13, 2025
Summary
Scanner quality does not significantly impact custom orthotic insole design. Foot scan quality varies, but the final orthotic design accuracy depends on weight-bearing conditions, not scanner precision.
Area of Science:
- Podiatry
- Biomechanical Engineering
- Medical Device Technology
Background:
- 3D volumetric scanners and smart-device apps are used for virtual foot data in podiatry.
- Variations in scanner accuracy and reliability lead to inconsistent foot scan quality for orthotic design.
- The impact of scanning quality on orthotic design accuracy remains largely untested.
Purpose of the Study:
- To investigate the direct impact of 3D scanner quality on the accuracy of custom orthotic insole design.
- To compare the consistency of foot scans versus designed orthotics across different scanner qualities and weight-bearing conditions.
- To determine whether scanner quality or weight-bearing condition is the primary factor influencing orthotic design outcomes.
Main Methods:
- Utilized three industrial 3D scanners with varying output qualities to capture foot scans from three participants.
- Acquired a total of 54 foot scans across two distinct weight-bearing conditions.
- Designed 18 custom orthotic insoles using commercial FitFoot360 software based on the obtained foot scans.
Main Results:
- Significant variation was observed in the quality of foot scans generated by different scanners (61.75 ± 2.23% similarity within ±1 mm deviation).
- No significant differences were found in the designed orthotic insoles within the same weight-bearing condition (83.59 ± 1.97% similarity within ±1 mm deviation).
- Medial arch height and heel width showed significant differences primarily due to changes in weight-bearing conditions, not scanner quality.
Conclusions:
- Current industrial methods for designing and producing custom orthotic insoles are not significantly dependent on the scanning quality of the 3D device used.
- The extent of weight bearing during the scanning process is a more critical factor influencing the accuracy and consistency of orthotic insole design.
- Future research should focus on optimizing weight-bearing protocols rather than solely on enhancing scanner resolution for improved orthotic outcomes.
