Newly-published research study with Cascade shoe inserts
October 23, 2011
The Journal of Prosthetics and Orthotics recently published a research article pertaining to children with hypotonia and flat feet—featuring our Fast Fit® HotDog® shoe insert:
Ross C.G., and Shore S. The effect of gross motor therapy and orthotic intervention in children with hypotonia and flexible flatfeet. Journal of Prosthetics and Orthotics, 23(3): 149-154 (2011; journal article).
Key Outcomes
Although gross motor therapy alone may have improved some gait parameters toward age-appropriate norms in young children with hypotonia and flatfeet, the addition of orthoses also significantly modified the arch index, possibly preventing long-term complications.
Read this article online (may require a journal subscription)
Here the’s abstract:
The purpose of this study was to determine the effect of gross motor (GM) therapy alone versus GM therapy plus soft insert orthoses on gait parameters and the medial longitudinal arch (MLA) in children with hypotonia and flatfeet. Twenty-five children aged 18 months to 5 years who demonstrated developmental delays and hypotonia with flatfoot dysfunction participated in this study. Two intervention groups (GM therapy alone and GM therapy plus foot orthoses) were studied over a period of 6 months. The arch index was used to assess the MLA pre- and postintervention. Gait parameters (velocity, stride length, stance time, and cadence) were assessed using the GAITRite™ system. There was a significantly greater improvement in pre- versus postintervention (p<0.003) in the arch index for the orthosis-added group compared with the GM therapy-only group. There was no difference between groups in the mean change in velocity, stance time, stride length, and cadence; however, both groups approached age-appropriate norms. Although GM therapy alone may have improved some gait parameters toward age-appropriate norms in young children with hypotonia and flatfeet, the addition of orthoses also significantly modified the arch index, possibly preventing long-term complications.
Don’t forget: you can see this research listing as well as others in our online compilation: Recent Research on Dynamic Orthoses.