Biomechanical Analysis of the Effect of Wearing Orthotic Insoles on the Lower Limbs of Patients with Flatfoot

Abstract

Purposes Orthopedic insoles are an effective means of non-surgical correction of flatfoot, but there is no unified view on its rehabilitation mechanism, and most previous studies have focused on the improvement of plantar pressure. Methods Firstly, a 3D motion capture system, a force platform and a foot test system were used to test the subjects respectively, to obtain the kinematic and dynamic data of the flatfoot patients' lower limbs when walking naturally, and then Anybody software was used to establish the musculoskeletal model of the subjects and carry out inverse kinetic analysis, to compare and analyse the joint angles of the lower limbs, the ground reaction force, and the changes in parameters such as joint moment and muscle activation, etc. of the lower limbs of the patients with flatfoot when they walked naturally before and after the use of orthopaedic insoles, joint moments and muscle activation during natural walking before and after using orthotic insoles. Findings The results show that after wearing the orthopedic insoles, the plantar pressure distribution of flatfoot patients is im proved significantly, the ankle joint motion angle changed significantly during the walking cycle, the peak vertical and lateral ground reaction forces became smaller during the support period, and the joint moments and the activation of major muscles in the lower limbs change to different degrees. Conclusions This study may provide a valuable reference for the rehabilitation treatment of flatfoot patients in clinic.

Keywords

• flatfoot
• orthopedic insoles
• gait analysis
• kinematics
• inverse dynamics