title: A simple technique for assessing heel contact in orthoses.
abstract: Orthoses are used by patients with neuromuscular disorders to control their ankle and foot position. Heel contact inside an orthosis is difficult to determine. A simple, inexpensive device was constructed that could be positioned between the heel and the inside of the orthosis. It consists of a thin, single-cell pressure sensor connected to a low-cost, digital multimeter. The resistance reading was used to determine the presence or absence of heel contact during a controlled standing protocol. The device was evaluated in 23 patients. The majority of patients did not weightbear on their heels. The heel contact of five patients was reassessed by using a computerized F-scan system, which determines plantar weightbearing forces. A 100% agreement was found between the single-cell sensor and the F-scan system. This single-cell sensor is a simple, inexpensive, and easily used device to determine the presence or absence of heel contact within an orthosis.
authors.affiliation: Hospital for Joint Diseases, New York, New York 10003, USA.
authors.forename: A D
authors.initials: AD
authors.lastname: Grant
authors.forename: D A
authors.initials: DA
authors.lastname: Sala
authors.forename: F J
authors.initials: FJ
authors.lastname: Kummer
authors.forename: A
authors.initials: A
authors.lastname: Kiriakatis
mesh_terms: D004867:Equipment Design; D005684:Gait / Q000502:physiology; D006365:Heel / Q000294:innervation; D006801:Humans; D009468:Neuromuscular Diseases / Q000534:rehabilitation*; D009989:Orthotic Devices; D011434:Proprioception / Q000502:physiology; D016474:Weight-Bearing