Impact of Therapeutic Footwear and Plantar Orthoses on Diabetic Neuropathic Foot in Quality of Life and Functionality

The orthopedic footwear used by the OF Group was manufactured by the company J. Andrade Ferreira Neves Lda. with materials suitable for the diabetic foot, as registered with INFARMED under registration ID 279515.

In the SF Group, it was recommended to use standard shoes more suitable for diabetic foot, with some specific characteristics, such as sports or walking shoes. The acquisition or not of a more suitable shoes by the participants was at the discretion of each individual.

The plantar orthoses (PO) that both groups used for distribute of plantar loads was based on the principle of total contact. The confection material consisted in a liner of EVA shore 20º and polyurethane filling ELAX flexible (expandable) from OKM Química Ortopédica SL.

"An information leaflet with foot care was delivered, with the aim of ensuring that participants were informed about the care they should continually take with their feet during the study period. This leaflet was created based on the guidelines of the Associação Protetora dos Diabéticos in Portugal."