Effect of rearfoot posts in reducing forefoot forces. A single-subject design.

The purpose of this study was to assess the effectiveness of a semirigid foot orthosis with a varus wedge on forefoot vertical forces in a 24-year-old female with a compensated rearfoot varus deformity. The results of this study indicate that the use of total contact semirigid foot orthoses reduces the forefoot force-time integral during walking, whether a rearfoot varus wedge was or was not used. The authors recommend that total contact construction of the foot orthoses be considered when a reduction of the forces acting on the forefoot is the goal of treatment.