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Orthotics
Custom Orthotics
Leather is the best all-around material for patients requiring an accommodative orthotic.
Balance wedging is fabricated to remain actve throughout the propulsive period of gait.
Leather Balance Orthotics — Types
Natural leather, due to its unique properties of tolerability, breathability, low skin sensitivity, excellent mold ability and maintenance of shape, is the best all-around material for patients requiring an accommodative orthotic. Through over 60 years of research with many different types of leathers, we have available leather tops that are both durable and eye appealing for your patient.
In cases where leather may deteriorate due to excessive perspiration, plastic-coated leather or leather substitutes such as vinyl should be used.
All of our balance orthotics include a thin suede bottom cover made of the finest leathers to reduce slippage and provide a durable and highly finished appearance.
Material of Orthotic
Material, of course, should vary according to your patient’s needs. When more control is needed, compression-resistant materials are used. If toleration is your major concern, such as in the case of lack of fat padding, the more compressible and resilient materials are used.
All materials are balance wedged according to the casts and clinical information given. Balance wedging is fabricated to remain active throughout the propulsive period of gait. It is also beveled in such a way as to allow toleration at the first metatarsal head and also fifth, if needed. All types of local corrections and accommodations can be added with any of the material types listed.
Leather, Cork Fill-in, and Celastic
The cork fill-in is the most commonly used balance orthotic because of its light weight and compression resistance. It gives excellent functional control with use of its balance wedging. It is the best orthotic to use when pocket accommodations are required for patients with painful IPK’s who have normal fat padding. Celastic is used to maintain firmness and shape, while providing the flexibility needed for toleration with a leather orthotic, especially at midtarsal area. All of these characteristics limit the need for adjustments and allow more ease of adjustment if needed. The material can be lowered easily in the office, with high impact, if it is too high in the arch or forefoot.
The sponge fill-in provides slightly more shock absorption.
A soft leather and sponge orthotic may be effective for patients with a lack of fat padding.
Corlyte™ orthotics retain their resilience even after years of use.
Leather, Sponge Fill-in, and Celastic
The sponge fill-in is effective when slightly more shock absorption is needed, such as for patients who are continually on hard surfaces. It should not be used for lack of fat padding because of the firm nature of this orthotic. Celastic is used here as it is for leather, cork fill-in, and celastic orthotics.
Leather, Sorbothane Fill-in, and Celastic
This orthotic is designed the same as the sponge fill-in, but sorbothane is used as the fill-in material. Sorbothane has more of a dampening down effect on impact.
Leather, Korex Fill-in, and Celastic
Korex fill-in is a firm fill-in material. It will give excellent functional control and resist compression set over time. Celastic is used for reinforcement of the leather shell.
All Sponge with Calfskin Top Cover
A soft leather and sponge orthotic is very effective in cases where there is a lack of fat padding, such as in rheumatoid arthritis, cerebral palsy, and many elderly patients. It is used in treatment of hypersensitive or insensitive feet, such as trophic ulcers, scar tissue, resistant verruca, and bony prominences. As there is less functional control available with this orthotic, feet with limited or no subtalar joint range of motion—such as rigid pes cavus feet or feet that have undergone triple arthodeses—respond well. It can be used for conditions where midtarsal arch toleration is involved. It can also be used as a joggers mold.
Corlyte™ Orthotics with Calfskin Top Cover
Corlyte™ is high-density urethane foam. It is light weight and has high-impact shock. Additionally, it has a very low compression set so that it will retain its resilience even after years of use. These characteristics make it ideal for conditions where extreme hypersensitivity is present, such as skin grafts and fat pad atrophy or in the insensitive diabetic foot with or without ulcerations. It has a natural leather top that has been picked especially for its softness and tolerability. It can be used in metatarsal, sulcus, or full length to the end of the toes. Correction and accommodations can be added as needed. These orthotics are best used without celastic reinforcement. The orthotics provide only slight functional control.