Research trends and future directions in foot orthosis for flatfoot: A bibliometric approach to innovation and ergonomic design

Flatfoot is a common condition characterized by a low foot arch, causing pain and discomfort. Foot orthoses are commonly used to alleviate these symptoms. This study conducts a bibliometric analysis of 465 documents from the Scopus database using VOSviewer and Biblioshiny tools to identify research trends and future directions in foot orthosis for flatfoot treatment. The research is grouped into five main clusters: orthopedic and surgical procedures, patient demographics, biomechanics and physical assessments, advanced technologies in orthosis development, and clinical research. Key keywords include flatfoot, foot orthosis, female, adult, and biomechanics. The United States leads the publication output with 392 articles, followed by China, Italy, Iran, and South Korea. Future research should focus on new materials for orthoses, optimizing designs for better foot biomechanics, and incorporating advanced technologies such as 3D printing and computer simulations to enhance production. The study also calls for more research on patient-specific treatments, considering gender and demographic differences. Furthermore, controlled clinical trials are essential for evaluating long-term effectiveness and patient outcomes. Addressing these research gaps will improve foot orthosis design, manufacturing, and clinical application, enhancing treatment efficacy and patient outcomes.