A State-of-the-Art Review on 3D Printed Orthotic Devices for Flat Feet Condition

摘要

Flat feet are one of the most commonly occurring ailments among humans all over the world. About 20-30% of the global population is suffering from this condition. Not only elder people but middle-aged people between 40 and 60 years and even younger age people between 18 and 21 years are also suffering from this ailment. Based on the National Foot Health Assessment conducted in the USA, about 18 million people, aged 21 years or older have this condition along with another 8 million adults suffering from fallen arches. This is mainly attributed to the change in lifestyle of the people. Lack of physical activities, overrunning, sitting or standing for long time, obesity pregnancy, rheumatoid arthritis diabetes, etc. are the primary reasons for this condition to develop in a normal person. A flat foot generally affects skeletal alignment leading to pain in the ankles, knees and hips. In order to overcome this, orthopedists are recommending the usage of orthotic devices for providing relaxation and comfort to the foot. Conventionally, orthotic devices made from custom silicon using an injection molding methods are used but their performance in terms of providing comfort is not up to the satisfied state. Researchers are trying to find an alternative to the conventional ones by finding better comfort providing optimized designs like 3D printed orthotic devices. This paper presents an extensive review of the state of research being carried out in the field of leg prosthetics especially orthotic devices including 3D printed orthotic devices.