The effect of foot orthoses on transverse tibial rotation during walking

The purpose of this study was to determine the effectiveness of two types of foot orthoses in controlling the magnitude and rate of internal tibial rotation, measured by the tibial pointer device, during walking. Ten subjects between the ages of 23 and 43 years volunteered to participate in the study. Prior to data collection, each subject was issued two types of foot orthoses: a pair of rigid, plastic orthoses with posting in either the forefoot or the rearfoot, and a pair of soft, accommodative, premolded orthoses with no posting. All subjects wore standardized footwear. Following a controlled break-in period for both footwear and orthoses, each subject was asked to walk at a self-selected speed over a 12-m walkway while the movement of internal tibial rotation was recorded with a video camera during five trials. The results indicated that both the rigid plastic and the accommodative foot orthoses significantly reduced the magnitude and the rate of internal tibial rotation. No significant difference was noted between the soft and rigid foot orthoses conditions.