Comfort and antifungal properties of orthotic materials used in footwear

An orthotic material could be defined as an externally applied device, which modifies the function by supporting or controlling a body part. Shoe orthoses are devices placed inside a shoe to accommodate anatomical abnormalities, to relieve pressure at a specific site or to alter the transmission of forces during gait. They work by applying force in a controlled manner and maybe accommodative or corrective devices. Besides, previous reviews have revealed that foot orthotics can prevent some lower limb overuse injuries, particularly femoral stress fractures and shin splints. These reviews highlight that further research in this area is still required, particularly in the form of wear comfort and antimicrobial properties of orthoses. Up to now, according to our knowledge there has been no reported research on these characteristic properties of orthoses materials in footwear. For this purpose, antifungal activity with Aspergillus niger, air permeability and water vapour permeability properties of five different orthotic materials were investigated in the present study. The results demonstrated that foot orthotic samples fulfilled the wear hygiene properties and could be used as safe antifungal materials for foot orthoses. © 2016 Certex, INCDTP-ICPI.