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OTC orthoses reduce plantar fascia strain

Sole, SuperFeet, and PowerStep over-the-counter (OTC) orthoses reduce plantar fascia strain, according to research epublished on May 26 in Prosthetics and Orthotics International.

Researchers from the University of Calgary in Canada assessed 18 participants who walked on a treadmill under four conditions (Sole, SuperFeet, Powerstep and no orthosis) in random order. The length of the plantar fascia was defined by the first metatarsal head and medial calcaneus; strain was calculated as the relative change in position of a line between those two points.

All OTC orthoses resulted in significant decreases in plantar fascia strain compared with no orthosis; the Powerstep alone exhibited significant decreases in peak rearfoot eversion.

Sole is based in Great Falls, MT, Superfeet in Ferndale, WA, and PowerStep in West Chester, OH.

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