What Is The Best Way To Cast For Custom-Made Foot Orthotics?
By: Deny Dallaire, B.Sc., C.Ped (C)
Certified Pedorthist (Canada) with Thera-Ped Foot & Ankle Clinic
I have worked with virtually every casting method out there and in my opinion, there is no one casting method that I find to be better than another. Moreover, no method seems to bring forth better results. It really boils down to the imagination of the person making your foot orthotics. Permit me to elaborate…
A foot orthotic device is considered “custom-made” if it is created from raw materials that are molded to a three-dimensional representation of the foot. This three-dimensional representation is also referred to as a cast. The three most common casting methods used among pedorthic practitioners are: (1) Slipper Casting using plaster of Paris, (2) Foam casting using memory foam and (3) Computer Casting using a CAD/CAM system. Each one of these systems has their strong and weak points. However, a good clinician will know how to use the strengths of each system to their maximum.
When making a pair of orthotics, you have in front of you more than just a pair of feet. You have a real person. This person has friends, family and a lifestyle that is more than likely very different from the next person in the waiting room. Therefore, there are many aspects to consider before deciding on how to build foot orthotics for this person.
Plaster and foam casting systems allow Pedorthists to use virtually any material (by itself or in combination with other materials) when building orthotics. The chosen material(s) can be heated, then vacuum-formed to the cast. At Thera-Ped, we use anywhere between 30 and 40 different materials in the course of a month. The significant disadvantage to these systems is that the process for creating the foot orthotics is very time consuming.
Computer generated casts have their advantages as well. They are quick and clean ways of taking three-dimensional casts of the feet. Because of this, they allow the Pedorthist to make a pair of orthotics much quicker than with the other methods. They also allow the Technician making the orthotics to see what the modified cast will look like before even starting the manufacturing process. However, the disadvantage to computerized casting systems is due to the proprietary nature of the systems. The choice of materials you can use is severely limited. These systems mill the orthotics from pre-manufactured blocks. The blocks are available from the manufacturer of the computer systems. Therefore, the choice of materials from which to make orthotics is restricted by the manufacturer of the blocks.
In the end, the patient must decide what method they think will work best for them. For more information about Pedorthics in Canada, please visit: www.pedorthic.ca or www.cpedcs.ca.
Certified Pedorthist (Canada) with Thera-Ped Foot & Ankle Clinic
I have worked with virtually every casting method out there and in my opinion, there is no one casting method that I find to be better than another. Moreover, no method seems to bring forth better results. It really boils down to the imagination of the person making your foot orthotics. Permit me to elaborate…
A foot orthotic device is considered “custom-made” if it is created from raw materials that are molded to a three-dimensional representation of the foot. This three-dimensional representation is also referred to as a cast. The three most common casting methods used among pedorthic practitioners are: (1) Slipper Casting using plaster of Paris, (2) Foam casting using memory foam and (3) Computer Casting using a CAD/CAM system. Each one of these systems has their strong and weak points. However, a good clinician will know how to use the strengths of each system to their maximum.
When making a pair of orthotics, you have in front of you more than just a pair of feet. You have a real person. This person has friends, family and a lifestyle that is more than likely very different from the next person in the waiting room. Therefore, there are many aspects to consider before deciding on how to build foot orthotics for this person.
Plaster and foam casting systems allow Pedorthists to use virtually any material (by itself or in combination with other materials) when building orthotics. The chosen material(s) can be heated, then vacuum-formed to the cast. At Thera-Ped, we use anywhere between 30 and 40 different materials in the course of a month. The significant disadvantage to these systems is that the process for creating the foot orthotics is very time consuming.
Computer generated casts have their advantages as well. They are quick and clean ways of taking three-dimensional casts of the feet. Because of this, they allow the Pedorthist to make a pair of orthotics much quicker than with the other methods. They also allow the Technician making the orthotics to see what the modified cast will look like before even starting the manufacturing process. However, the disadvantage to computerized casting systems is due to the proprietary nature of the systems. The choice of materials you can use is severely limited. These systems mill the orthotics from pre-manufactured blocks. The blocks are available from the manufacturer of the computer systems. Therefore, the choice of materials from which to make orthotics is restricted by the manufacturer of the blocks.
In the end, the patient must decide what method they think will work best for them. For more information about Pedorthics in Canada, please visit: www.pedorthic.ca or www.cpedcs.ca.
