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FOOT ORTHOTICS Foot
Menders is committed to providing you, our customers and patients,
with the finest quality medical grade over-the-counter and custom
foot orthoses as well as other helpful foot care products. This
brochure should answer the commonly asked questions you have about
foot orthoses.
The foot comfort specialists at Foot Menders have technical degrees in orthotic fabrication prior to receiving advanced supplemental training in orthotic fabrication and education in foot problem evaluation with medical doctors who are Orthopaedic Foot and Ankle Specialists! WHAT DO ORTHOSES DO? It is noted above that orthoses may perform different important functions such as bracing, cushioning, shielding, supporting, or protecting certain parts of the body as well as correcting malalignment. WHAT ARE THE TYPES OF ORTHOSES? Orthoses are named for the body part that they span. For instance, a knee brace is known as a KO (knee orthoses), a brace that supports the foot and extends above the ankle is known as an (ankle foot orthosis), a brace that supports the knee and runs down the leg and connects to the foot or a shoe is known as a (knee ankle foot orthosis). An orthosis that fits underneath the foot, in a shoe, is known as a foot orthosis (FO). Simple foot orthoses that do not provide rigid correction may also be known as foot inlays. Orthoses may also be named by the materials of which they are comprised. For instance, a rigid orthosis may be made of metal such as steel or aluminum, hard plastic such as acrylic or thick polyethylene, polypropylene or carbon fiber. True rigid orthoses are rarely needed and they are not made or carried by Foot Menders. An example of a rigid orthosis would be a UCBL orthosis made for a severe flat foot deformity or patient with severe subtalar joint arthritis.
Orthoses may also be named by the level of fit and manufacture. A typical over-the-counter (OTC) foot orthosis typically encountered in a supermarket or a drug store may be provided as one size fits all. The materials are usually lower quality foams that may tear, shred or pack quickly resulting in the need to replacement due to wear or loss of cushioning ability. These "one size fits none" products are usually one step above standard foot inlays that are provided with shoes. Medical grade over-the-counter products are prefabricated foot orthoses constructed of higher quality medical grade foams and polymers that are designed to provide superior shock absorbing/support and durability. Frequently these products are designed to be adjusted or adapted to each foot and to be combined with other such products. Many patients with minor foot problems and average foot size may find these products to be very helpful as well as cost effective. The foot comfort specialists at Foot Menders can often help our customers with price sensitivity by providing limited modification or adjustment of these devices to address their foot comfort needs.
Professional, amateur, and student athletes who require high performance sports orthoses with no margin for error, as well as younger or older patients that have a specific painful area that requires exact fitting may all possibly benefit from custom foot orthoses. Even patients with complex foot deformities may benefit. Our "Sure Fit" foot comfort technicians along with expert shoe fitters will help to ensure that your foot, the orthosis and shoe all "work" together in harmony to produce maximum comfort. Foot Menders has pioneered this "Sure Fit" process for our customers on a retail basis. WARRANTY All custom orthoses manufactured by Foot Menders are guaranteed against defects or normal wear up to one year from purchase! Once again an industry leading standard. |
First
a little terminology, Orthotics is the science and technology of
making orthoses. Although commonly called "orthotics",
orthoses are the actual devices that are designed to brace, support,
protect, cushion or correct a certain portion of the body such as
the leg, arm, or spine. An orthosis is a single device. Foot Menders
deals with lower extremity (leg) orthoses only. Orthoses may be
designed and fabricated by a number of providers: specialized technicians,
orthotists, pedorthotists, orthotic technicians, physical therapists
and even medical doctors.
Rigid
carbon fiber plate Semi-rigid orthoses are often used when support
is needed in a particular area of the foot to relieve pressure elsewhere
or to help provide correction. Semi-rigid orthoses may provide support
along with appropriate flexibility. They commonly are made out of
thinner layers of polyethylene or polypropylene plastic, thinner
carbon fiber plates with flexibility, cork or foams of various thickness
and density. An example of a semi-rigid orthosis would be an orthosis
with a firm arch support made for a patient with a painful, flexible
flat foot.
Soft
orthoses provide cushioning as well as support. They provide important
protection against friction and pressure and help to distribute
weight evenly helping to avoid or alleviate foot problems such as
painful corns, calluses, metatarsalgia and painful areas. 
Custom
molded orthoses are the "cream of the crop" of foot orthoses.
Essentially the device is individually custom designed for each
customer’s feet. Support can be placed exactly where it is
needed and various thickness and density foams can be used to provide
a combination of shock absorption as well as support. Foot Menders’
innovative and industry leading gel technology can place soft cushioning
gel exactly where desired. This custom gel placement provides many
benefits – from protection against friction and pressure to
reduction of discomfort from metatarsalgia, plantar fasciitis, claw
toes, bunions, or painful calluses . This innovative gel technology
can even replace or augment the shock absorbing capacity of the
foot from loss of fat pad by deformity, surgery or aging.