Gone are the days when you had to rely on over-the-counter orthotic shoe inserts to try to find relief from your foot and ankle problems. Store-bought orthotics are barely able to relieve your foot pain, let alone correct any underlying structural foot deformities. Even custom orthotics that are designed from your foot impressions are not always very helpful.

The advancement of medical technology includes the transformation of the process of making custom orthotics, from bulk-made shoe inserts to foot impressions to today’s 3D scanning of each foot. 3D foot scanners harness digital technology and a small amount of manual intervention to design and manufacture shoe orthotics that are truly personalized.

Let’s talk about about how the 3D foot scanner works, its incredible advantages, and where you can go in Greater Cincinnati to receive custom-made orthotics to help you enjoy walking without pain again.

A 3D foot scanner is used to capture your foot’s specific geometry. The resultant orthotics will be designed in such a way as to not only be incredibly comfortable, but also correct any structural deformities of the foot.

The 3D foot scanner has successfully replaced the use of uncomfortable and messy plaster molds. The scanner consists of a structure sensor which communicates with a computer tablet. During the process of the scan, the structure sensor is moved around your foot to capture the foot’s precise dimensions.

The structure sensor captures images of the plantar (bottom) and posterior (back) surfaces of the foot as well as the medial (inside) and lateral (outside) sides, creating high clarity to produce a reliable image for orthotic creation. This creates a 3D model of your foot with high resolution in a matter of seconds.

Orthotics made by employing 3D scanner technology enables your podiatrist to control the specific segmental elements in your orthotics. For example, for an athlete who has had or is at elevated risk of having a 5th-metatarsal fracture, the orthotics will be designed with decreased stiffness of the lateral column.

The 3D scanning system allows your podiatrist to scan your foot in a non-weight-bearing, neutral position of your foot. You will be asked to lie down on the examination table while your foot is scanned with the 3D foot scanner.

If you have foot pain, knee pain, hip pain, or back pain, and you need custom-made orthotics to help you achieve relief from the pressure when standing and walking, look no further than the podiatrists here at Cincinnati Foot & Ankle Care. Our board-certified podiatrists use the 3D scanning system to design customized orthotics for our patients.

Cincinnati Foot & Ankle Care has partnered with Allied OSI Labs for scanning technology in the production of our custom shoe inserts. Owned by a podiatrist, Allied OSI Labs are industry leaders in the creation of custom orthotics.

To schedule a consultation with one of our skilled and experienced podiatrists, call our clinic nearest you or use our appointment request form now. We look forward to serving you!