Biochemical Studies and Optical Digitizer Development for Enhanced Orthopedic Footwear

摘要

Properly fining, functional footwear is paramount for preventing foot/ankle discomfort and injury, and maintaining mobility of military personnel and veterans. Custom designed and manufactured orthopedic footwear is an essential component in treatment and rehabilitative care of persons with neuromusculoskeletal foot ankle pathologies, biomechanical disorders and injuries, and systemic disorders, such as Diabetes Mellitus and peripheral vascular disease, complications from which affect the feet and ankles. Orthopedic footwear design is still based on pedorthists' subjective judgments, so the degree of fit and function attained and the quality of footwear produced are inconsistent, and highly dependent upon the level of training, experience, and skill of the pedorthist involved. The objective of this project was to develop quantitative methods for effective, expeditious, repeatable, and consistent design and manufacture of well-fining, comfortable, and functional orthopedic footwear.