Oakville Orthotics offers a full range of functional and accommodative foot orthotics to satisfy the varied needs of each client. Employing sound biomechanical and pedorthic principles, along with state of the art laser scanning and the most up to date materials, we produce durable, high quality orthotics for the athlete and lay person alike.
Types of Orthotics
Accommodative Orthotics
Accommodative orthotics, also referred to as total contact orthotics, are generally constructed from unbalanced casts. These devices are not meant to alter the functional mechanics of the foot, but as the name implies, to accommodate and protect the foot. These devices are ideal for the "at-risk" foot (pressure sensitivities, neuropathy, ulcerations, etc.)
and are constructed using multiple layers of pressure distributing foams with a deep heel seat, high flange design that cradles the foot. Lesions on the bottom of the foot, or bony prominences are easily accommodated with these devices.
Functional Orthotics
All of our functional orthotics begin by taking an accurate laser scan of the client's feet. Balanced casts are then generated, and a thermoplastic is vacuum formed over the corrected casts. Thermoplastics are widely used in the manufacture of functional foot orthotics, due to their inherent ability to retain their shape, even with rigorous wear and constant flexing. These devices can be made with additional sponge arch fill to allow an extra degree of flexibility or where increased balancing is required. Our functional orthotics are top covered with EVA or neoprene sponge for comfort and cushioning. These devices are ideal where functional control of the foot is required, and have many applications including sports, occupational and daily living.
Leather Balance Orthotics
Oakville Orthotics is one of the few clinics that continue to offer leather orthotics. The advent of thermoplastics took the orthotic industry by storm in the 1970's and 80's, but it was the leather device that started the revolution. Natural leather, due to its unique properties of tolerability, breathability, low skin sensitivity, excellent moldability and maintenance of shape is the best all round material for accommodative orthotics. Starting with a laser scanned image of the feet, the leather is "wet-lasted" over an unbalance cast and left for several days to dry. Once dry, the leather has taken on the exact shpae of the foot and material is then added to the bottom to balance and accommodate the foot. Bottom materials can range from soft to firm depending on the clinical findings and desired outcomes.
Scanning Technology
The laser foot scanner in use at Oakville Orthotics has two distinct functions. One function is the ability to capture the foot and change it into a digitized form that can be evaluated, shown on a computer and used in the production of a functional orthotic device. The second function is the abilitry of the clinician to precisely manipulate and change the shape of this digitized data to form more accurate cast corrections, so that an orthotic fabricated using this digitized image will be both more comfortable and effective in controlling the patient's biomechanical condition. Secondarily, but no less important, the system helps to explain the basics of biomechanics to patients and others in a clear and concise way, and it has the ability to evolve into a research tool that can be used to expand and verify our knowledge of orthotics and biomechanics.
In the realm of orthotics automation, there are currently two methods of capturing the image of the foot: contact and non-contact digitization. Contact digitization uses a probe to collect date on the foot and a computer to analyze the data. AS this method requires numerous samples to accurately capture the image of the foot, most systems using this technology spread out the data samplings to get a basic contour of the foot, and then have the computer "fill in" the gaps between samples. At best this is a poor representation of custom design. Non contact digitization, used in the scanner we employ, consists of a video camera, a light source (optical laser) and a computer to analyze the date. Data samplings are obtained every 40 thousandths of an inch, giving a very detailed representation of the contour of the foot. And subsequently, orthotics will fit precisely to the foot shape. Our scanner takes about 9000 data samplings of the foot in about 6 seconds. Optical scanning is a highly accurate casting method since the clinician can precisely check the scan on the computer to see if it mirrors the biomechanical examination. If discrepancies are apparent, another scan can be taken with little time and effort.
