Background: Customized footwear with appropriate insole material for offloading is widely used for preventing ulceration indiabetic and leprosy affected patients.
Methods: Finite element analysis was carried outon a 3 dimensionally modelledinsole. The insole was tested with the boundary condition of constant geometry, constant loading and varied material properties to identify the biomechanical behaviour of material.
Results: The study demonstrates that Ethylene Vinyl Acetate and Micro Cellular Rubber reduce the elevated plantar pressure significantly in comparison to the other materials commonly used in fabricating foot orthosis.
Conclusion: The comparison of the insole materials provides the health worker the required knowledge for selection of appropriate material for therapeutic insoles. The mechanical analysis of materials through the computer aided analysis would help therapeutic footwear designer to design, fabricate and use appropriate insoles.