CClinicalTrials.gg
CompletedNCT00240175Updated Mar 1, 2012

Evaluating the Effects of Foot Orthotics on Plantar Pressures in the Diabetic Population

A Phase 1 interventional study of No Intervention in Diabetes, sponsored by The University of Texas Health Science Center at San Antonio. Completed at 2 sites in United States. Open to participants aged 18 Years to 66 Years, including healthy volunteers. Per ClinicalTrials.gov, last updated 2012-03-01.

Sponsored by The University of Texas Health Science Center at San Antonio · Phase 1, Interventional, and Prevention

Phase
Phase 1
Study type
Interventional
Enrollment
65
Allocation
Randomized
Ages
18 Years to 66 Years
Sex
All
01

Study summary

Foot orthotics or shoe inserts are currently utilized as a common conservative treatment option for a wide variety of foot disorders. This treatment is used for both the relatively healthy active population and the more sedentary population with diabetes or peripheral vascular disease (dysvascular). However, there is limited objective scientific data documenting the actual benefits or effectiveness of either customized or over-the-counter foot orthoses. It is the aim of this study to determine the effects of three popular foot orthotics on plantar pressures in diabetic populations. If foot orthoses can be utilized as a preventive treatment option to reduce the risk for foot ulceration by redistributing plantar pressures, then orthoses would be a cost effective solution to a high cost (mental and fiscal) medical impairment.

Read the detailed description

It is estimated that over 17 million people are affected with diabetes with more than 8 million remaining undiagnosed in the United States alone. Of the total diabetic population, approximately 15% will develop foot ulcerations with 6% continuing onto some manner of foot or lower limb amputation. While it has been widely recommended that therapeutic shoes and foot orthotics be utilized in the ongoing care of diabetics with insensate feet, there is limited scientific literature quantifying the actual effects. If the early use of orthotic devices is able to decrease the risk or delay the onset of foot ulceration, this could be an essential treatment strategy for individuals with diabetes or peripheral vascular.

To evaluate the orthotic devices a repeated measure within subject study design is purposed. There will be forty two diabetic subjects rated at Category 1 by the UTHSCSA Podiatry Scale (Peripheral neuropathy, no history of ulceration). Each subject will receive three sets of foot orthotics and a pair of extra-depth athletic shoes. The subjects will receive and wear the orthotics in a randomized order. The orthotics to be tested will vary in materials and morphology. They will be a custom molded trilaminar insert, a prefabricated trilaminar insert without any modifications, and an over-the-counter contoured shoe insert of Plastazote and polyurethane. Plantar pressure measurements will be acquired at baseline and after four weeks of accommodation to each set of foot orthoses. It is anticipated that a participant's involvement with the study will require five months.

This study will help to determine the efficacy of the three different types of foot orthotics and help to establish better guidelines for health care practitioners regarding optimal foot care in diabetes and to assist in collecting data for future grants.

02

Conditions studied

  • Diabetes
03

In context

Lead sponsor

The University of Texas Health Science Center at San Antonio is the lead sponsor of 435 studies on the registry; 88 are open to participants now.

Of its 62 completed or terminated interventional studies of FDA-regulated products, 31 (50%) have results posted.

Counted across the registry records on this site, refreshed daily.

04

Who can participate

Ages eligible
18 Years to 66 Years
Sexes eligible
All
Accepts healthy volunteers
Yes

Inclusion criteria

  • normal gait pattern
  • Category 1 diabetic rating by the UTHSCSA Podiatry scale - Category 1 diabetics have documentable peripheral neuropathy but no history of foot ulceration.
  • males or females between the ages of 18 and 66

Exclusion criteria

Exclusion Criteria:

  • neuromuscular deficits
  • no foot abnormalities (hammer toes, pes cavus) that requires specialized footwear. The participant must be tolerant of the study shoes to be supplied. To address this matter a four week accommodation period to the study shoe will be required for inclusion to the study.
  • No pregnant females due to subsequent alterations in gait patterns
05

Study design

Phase
Phase 1
Primary purpose
Prevention
Allocation
Randomized
Intervention model
Single group
Masking
None (open label)
Enrollment
65 participants (actual)

Interventions

  • OtherNo Intervention

    No Intervention

06

What researchers measure

Primary outcomes

  1. Quantitative measures of plantar pressure

    Time frame: 1 year

07

Study locations

2 sites
  • Texas Diabetes Institute
    San Antonio, Texas 78207, United States
  • South Texas Veterans Healthcare System
    San Antonio, Texas 78229, United States
08

Updates

Tracking since Sep 25, 2026
No changes since tracking began. The registry record was last updated on Mar 1, 2012, before this site started recording changes on Sep 25, 2026. Its history is on ClinicalTrials.gov ↗
09

Registry details

Key details

Study ID
NCT00240175
Lead sponsor
The University of Texas Health Science Center at San Antonio
Responsible party
Sponsor
First posted
Oct 17, 2005
Start date
Aug 2005
Primary completion
Aug 2011
Completion
Aug 2011
Last update
Mar 1, 2012

Study contacts

Hope S Hacker, MD
principal investigator · The University of Texas Health Science Center at San Antonio
View the source record on ClinicalTrials.gov ↗

Not currently enrolling

This study is completed, as verified in Feb 2012. You cannot join it, but the record below documents what was studied.

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