Postural control foot orthotic with a forefoot posting shim

A functional foot orthotic comprising a plastic shell plate formed to the contour of the sole portion of a patient's foot for which the orthotic is prescribed by being vacuum-pressed against the sole portion of foot replica, said shell plate thereby having atop surface provided to fit the patient's foot;

• and a forefoot posting shim, composed of a material having compression and memory retention capabilities, applied to the top surface of the shell plate, the outer edge of the forefoot posting shim having a thickness sufficient to precisely match the prescribed posting;
• said forefoot posting shim having front, medial, lateral and posterior edges, and being located at the level of the first-to-third metatarsals, with its anterior and medial peripheral edges conforming to the anterior end and medial side, respectively, of the underlying shell plate;
• said forefoot posting shim being so constructed and arranged to extend inward from its anterior and medial peripheral edges with the thickest part of said posting shim being at the anterior medial edge thereof so as to provide a top posting shim area sufficient to underlay at least the patient's first metatarsal with the greatest posting elevation being at the anterior medial edge of said orthotic, and to have its lateral and posterior portions tapered from the posting shim area back to the underlaying shell plate, whereby said posting shim will accommodate the patient's varum forefoot deformity so as to provide, in combination with said shell plate, a stable forefoot platform for the patient's foot.

A functional foot orthotic for correcting varum deformities of the foot of a patient for which the orthotic is prescribed comprising a shell plate formed to the contour of the sole portion of the patient's foot, said shell plate having posterior and anterior ends, and medial and lateral sides, the length of the shell plate being such that the anterior end will be located proximally adjacent to the one-five metatarsal parabola of the patient's foot;

• and a forefoot posting shim applied to the top surface of the shell plate to provide a forefoot varum post, the forefoot posting shim having front, medial, lateral and posterior edges, and being located at the level of the first-to-third metatarsals, with its anterior and medial peripheral edges conforming to the anterior end and medial side, respectively, of the underlying shell plate;
• said forefoot posting shim being so constructed and arranged to extend inward from its anterior and medial peripheral edges with the thickest part of said posing shim being at the anterior medial edge thereof so as to provide a top posting shim area sufficient to underlay at least the patient's first metatarsal with the greatest posting elevation being at the anterior medial edge of said orthotic, and to have its lateral and posterior portions tapered from the posting shim area back to the underlying shell plate, whereby said posting shim will accommodate the patient's varum forefoot deformity so as to provide, in combination with said shell plate, a stable forefoot platform for the patient's foot.