Better insoles quicker
Diabetic patients often suffer foot ulceration as a consequence of the disease. Customised shoe insoles are a favoured preventative treatment, but current manufacturing methods limit the devices' usefulness. The EU-funded project D-FOOTPRINT (Personalised insoles via additive manufacture for the prevention of plantar ulceration in diabetes) developed new methods. The study combined optimised individual biomechanical modelling with additive manufacturing (AM), better known as 3D printing. The new manufacturing method enables rapid production of individually made insoles able to reach their full therapeutic potential. Early phases combined computer-aided design, finite element modelling and AM techniques to produce insoles that reduce forefoot pressure. Work examined how personalised but simple computer simulations could provide the information necessary to manufacture personalised insoles. Results highlighted the essential data, allowing simplification of the computations. The team also devised a semi-automated workflow for insole design and optimisation, and manufactured prototypes. Clinical trials assessed the effects of the new insoles, compared with standard alternatives. The study also tested the reliability of in-shoe embedded ultrasonography. Trial results showed that the optimised insoles reduced forefoot pressure by up to 30 %. D-FOOTPRINT produced a method and a product, together meaning greater foot comfort for diabetic patients. The savings outcome also helps reduce cost burdens on public health systems.
Keywords
Insoles, diabetic, biomechanical modelling, 3D printing, foot ulceration, D-FOOTPRINT, additive manufacture
