Validation of Customized Functional Insoles for The Very Elderly with Complex Foot Conditions

This study aims to verify the design workflow of customized functional insoles when considering complex foot conditions of the very elderly and features of additive manufacturing. 17 very elderly subjects (age: 86.59±3.20 years) were recruited and their functional insoles were designed and manufactured according the workflow proposed to deal with complex foot conditions. Plantar pressure distribution patterns were compared when wearing customized functional insole (CFI) and two commonly used prefabricated insoles (arch support insole and flat insole). The results revealed that CFI significantly decreased overall plantar pressure compared to others. In most regions, peak plantar pressure and plantar pressure gradient in CFI were also significantly lower. Additionally, lower pressure-time integral was observed in CFI compared to flat insole (p < 0.001). It means the proposed design workflow and additive manufacturing can be used to optimize plantar pressure distribution pattern for the very elderly.