CClinicalTrials.gg
CompletedNCT02957812Updated Mar 1, 2018

The Effects of 12-week Custom-made Orthotic Intervention on the Structure and Function of the Foot of Healthy Young Adults During Gait Termination

An interventional study of Custom-made Foot Orthotics (CFO) in Flatfoot, sponsored by Wilfrid Laurier University. Completed at 1 site in Canada. Open to participants aged 18 Years to 35 Years, including healthy volunteers. Per ClinicalTrials.gov, last updated 2018-03-01.

Sponsored by Wilfrid Laurier University · Not applicable, Interventional, and Supportive care

Phase
Not applicable
Study type
Interventional
Enrollment
18
Allocation
Randomized
Ages
18 Years to 35 Years
Sex
All
01

Study summary

The purpose of this study is to explore the long-term effects that orthotics imposes on the structure and function of the foot. The objectives of the study are to determine if the use of custom-made foot orthotics (CFO) cause: (a) changes to the structure of the plantar intrinsic muscles, (b) changes in the rate of muscle activity and timing in the plantar intrinsic muscles and (c) creates any changes in balance control during gait termination. The aim of the study is to enhance the appropriate dispensing of orthotics, and whether additional measures, such as rehabilitation exercises are necessary to increase their overall effectiveness in the clinical setting.

Read the detailed description

Between 20-30 healthy young adults of both males and females will be recruited. A screening questionnaire will be administered to ensure that participants are appropriate for the study.

Once the participant has met the criteria of the study, the participants will be randomly allocated into one of two groups: (a) the control group or (b) the intervention group. Individuals that are selected to be in the intervention group, will be fitted with custom-made orthotics by an experienced pedorthist. The pedorthist will cast the foot posture using a foam impression to custom the design of the foot orthotic. The participant will have a week to acclimatize to the new environment, and if any discomfort arises the pedorthist will make any necessary corrections and the participant will have another week to acclimatize to the orthotic. The control group will not receive an intervention and ask to go about their daily life activities. All participants will undergo the same testing procedures at 6 and 12 weeks after baseline testing.

At baseline, 6 weeks and 12 weeks post-baseline, the researcher will take a diagnostic ultrasound image of the foot muscles prior to the gait trials. The researcher will also place 12 infrared markers and surface electrodes on the participant. All trials will be performed barefoot. The participants will then undergo a gait termination protocol. Participants will walk down an 8m walk-way with three force plates are embedded into the ground. Participants will be asked to walk to the end of the platform until instructed to stop. For 20% of the gait trials, the participants are walking forward until they hear an audio buzzer sound that will signal them to terminate their gait suddenly in the next two steps. All trials will be randomized.

02

Conditions studied

  • Flatfoot

Browse trials for

Keywords

  • Gait
  • Balance Control
  • Orthotics
03

In context

Flatfoot

168 studies on the registry are indexed under Flatfoot; 41 are open to participants now.

This study's enrollment of 18 is below the median of 37 across 121 interventional studies indexed under Flatfoot.

Browse Flatfoot studies →

Lead sponsor

Wilfrid Laurier University is the lead sponsor of 15 studies on the registry; 4 are open to participants now.

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

04

Who can participate

Ages eligible
18 Years to 35 Years
Sexes eligible
All
Accepts healthy volunteers
Yes

Inclusion criteria

  • a score of (+5) on the Foot Posture Index (FPI)
  • navicular height \< 3.6cm
  • able to walk

Exclusion criteria

Exclusion Criteria:

  • have worn CFOs in the past year,
  • current lower limb injury, leg or foot pain
  • neurological or musculoskeletal disorders affecting the function of the foot
  • previous history of lower limb surgery
  • protein intake above the recommended daily allowance (RDA)
  • medications that effect balance.
05

Study design

Phase
Not applicable
Primary purpose
Supportive care
Allocation
Randomized
Intervention model
Parallel assignment
Masking
None (open label)
Enrollment
18 participants (actual)

Study arms

  • Experimental
    Orthotics

    Custom made orthotic provided for study

    Device: Custom-made Foot Orthotics (CFO)

  • No intervention
    Control

    Wearing own footwear

Interventions

  • DeviceCustom-made Foot Orthotics (CFO)

    Provides longitudinal arch support

06

What researchers measure

Primary outcomes

  1. Change in Cross-sectional area (CSA) of intrinsic foot muscles

    the area of the cross section of a muscle perpendicular to its fibers

    Time frame: Baseline, 6 weeks, and 12 weeks post baseline

  2. change in muscle activity and timing of Electromyography (EMG)

    muscle activity and muscle timing

    Time frame: Baseline, 6 weeks, and 12 weeks

  3. change in Balance stability margin

    how close their body gets to perimeter of their base of support

    Time frame: Baseline, 6 weeks, and 12 weeks

Secondary outcomes

  1. Range of motion (ROM)

    the degrees of motion that occurs at the joint

    Time frame: Baseline and 12 weeks

  2. Stride Length

    the distance between heel strike of the same limb

    Time frame: Baseline and 12 weeks

  3. Stride Width

    the lateral distance between midlines of each foot

    Time frame: Baseline and 12 weeks

  4. Gait Velocity

    The rate of change in position with respect to time

    Time frame: Baseline and 12 weeks

07

Study locations

1 site
  • Biomechanics Lab
    Waterloo, Ontario N2L 3C5, Canada
08

References and documents

Individual participant data

Plan to share: Undecided

No publications or documents are linked to this record.

09

Updates

Tracking since Sep 25, 2026
No changes since tracking began. The registry record was last updated on Mar 1, 2018, before this site started recording changes on Sep 25, 2026. Its history is on ClinicalTrials.gov ↗
10

Registry details

Key details

Study ID
NCT02957812
Lead sponsor
Wilfrid Laurier University
Responsible party
Katrina Protopapas (Principal Investigator, Wilfrid Laurier University) — Principal investigator
First posted
Nov 8, 2016
Start date
Nov 2016
Primary completion
Jul 21, 2017
Completion
Aug 31, 2017
Last update
Mar 1, 2018

Oversight

Data monitoring committee
No
View the source record on ClinicalTrials.gov ↗

Not currently enrolling

This study is completed, as verified in Feb 2018. You cannot join it, but the record below documents what was studied.

Follow this study

Get an email when the registry record changes — status, dates, results — or when someone posts here.

Sign in to follow

Discussion

Questions and observations about this study, from anyone following it. Not medical advice, and not a channel to the study team — their contact details are on the registry record.

Sign in to join the discussion. Reading takes no account; posting does. You choose a display name, and a pseudonym is the default.

Nothing here yet. If you are running this trial, taking part in it, or weighing whether to, this is the place to say so.

Start the discussion