The effectiveness of wedge shoes in patients with insufficient vestibular compensation.
OBJECTIVE
Patients who fail to achieve sufficient vestibular compensation after acute vestibular deafferentation show a tendency to deviate toward the affected side. This study evaluated the effectiveness of wedge shoes specially manufactured with a 4mm inclination on the affected side to patients with chronic vestibular insufficiency.


METHODS
Subjects comprised 13 patients with chronic vestibular insufficiency for >6 months after acute unilateral vestibular dysfunction and 9 healthy volunteers. Subjects underwent vestibular tests wearing wedge shoes and regular shoes. Differences in results were compared.


RESULTS
Patients showed significant improvements in the straight gait test (p<0.01), Unterberger-Fukuda stepping test (p<0.01) and posturography test (p=0.015) when wearing wedge shoes compared with wearing regular shoes.


CONCLUSIONS
Our results suggested that raising the lateral sole of shoes on the affected side could effectively ameliorate the effects of chronic vestibular insufficiency.
Ushio
Munetaka
M
Department of Otolaryngology, Faculty of Medicine, University of Tokyo, 7-3-1 Hongo, Bunkyo-ku, Tokyo 113-8655, Japan. IZT01356@nifty.ne.jp
Murofushi
Toshihisa
T
Okita
Wataru
W
Suzuki
Mitsuya
M
Kaga
Kimitaka
K
D000328:Adult; D005260:Female; D007839:Functional Laterality / Q000502:physiology*; D005684:Gait / Q000502:physiology; D006801:Humans; D008297:Male; D008875:Middle Aged; D004856:Postural Balance / Q000502:physiology*; D012775:Shoes; D014717:Vertigo / Q000503:physiopathology / Q000534:rehabilitation*; D015837:Vestibular Diseases / Q000503:physiopathology / Q000534:rehabilitation*; D014724:Vestibular Function Tests; D014722:Vestibule, Labyrinth / Q000503:physiopathology*