​Contact: 01376 331839
Essex Orthopaedics (Braintree) Limited
Functional Foot Orthotics
FUNCTIONAL FOOT ORTHOSIS: Offer corrective forces to the Mid and Fore-foot during the gait cycle whilst maintaining the calcanium in a neutral position. The Functional Foot Orthosis (F.F.O) allows minimal orthotic intervention with maximum mechanical effect.
F.F.O’s are manufactured from a wide variety of materials including, Acrylic, Plastic, Carbon Fibre, High and Low density Plasterzote.
They can be used for conditions such as Forefoot Varus, Rearfoot Varus and Metatarsus Primus Elevatus.
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U.C.B.’S Derived from the California San Francisco medical Centre UC-BL shoe insert.
The UCB was designed to offer effective control and support to Subtalor instability and the associated collapse.
During this collapse the calcanium deviates laterally (from the bodies mid-line), combined with a mid-foot collapse and abduction of the forefoot ( in relation to the bodies mid-line). To correct this, the UCB realigns the calcanium to a neutral position, whilst supporting the mid-foot. The abduction is controlled by virtue of the plastic ‘cupping’ around the fifth metatarsal.
UCB’s are made of Homopolymer or Natural Polypropylene.
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Sustentaculum-Tali-Correction: When a foot is placed into an Orthosis if the foot moves pressure and rubbing results, to alleviate this whilst offering increased control the ‘Sust-Tali’ correction method was created.
As the Orthotist casts the foot, they cup the calcaneous, pushing the Thenar prominence into the medial aspect of the calcaneous and distal to it’s mid-line, this ensures a good primary heel shaping.
At the workshop after initial rectification the primary heel shaping is increased to increase the heel grip.
Firm pads can be added to the medial aspect to increase the ‘grip’.
Sustentaculum - Tali correction can be added to virtually any type of foot Orthosis, but the patient must be fully assessed due to Sust-Tali correction applying a ‘high level’ corrective force..
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Neuro-Physiological Footplates: This ‘shaping’ is most commonly used with Dynamic Orthotics but can be used in fixed and hinged A.F.O’s. The specific shaping is vital to improve stability and reduce tone. ‘Sunken’ areas for the metatarsal head pad area and calcaneous pad, provide stability of these crucial forefoot and rearfoot areas. Active support of logitudinal, metatarsal and perineal arch systems, as well as under the toes provide a combination of neutral stability and inhibitive forces to achieve maximum activation of normal postural control.
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