Skip to main content
CMT Veda AIby CMTFOI

Learn

Learn about CMT

The CMTFOI learning library — evergreen education, evidence and support. Newest published content appears first in every section.

Back to Assistive Technology
Assistive TechnologyResearch

Study Measures How Ankle-Foot Orthoses Impact Foot Posture in Charcot-Marie-Tooth Disease

A study using standing CT scans evaluated how ankle-foot orthoses (AFOs) affect foot posture in 20 adults with Charcot-Marie-Tooth disease. Researchers found that standing in AFOs did not reduce cavovarus (high-arched and inward-curved) foot deformity compared to standing barefoot, suggesting that brace benefits may come from ankle stability rather than correcting foot shape.

Why it matters

Ankle-foot orthoses are frequently used by people with CMT to support walking and balance. Understanding how different brace designs interact with foot structure helps patients and clinicians clarify what braces achieve, highlighting joint stabilization over structural correction.

Key points

  • Researchers evaluated 20 adults with CMT using weightbearing CT scans (scans taken while standing) both barefoot and while wearing braces with shoes.
  • Both two-dimensional measurements and three-dimensional computer shape modeling showed an increased cavovarus (high-arch, turned-in) posture while wearing AFOs compared to standing barefoot.
  • Braces with custom footplates resulted in smaller increases in deformity measurements compared to flat footplates or flat footplates with orthotic inserts.
  • The findings suggest that the functional benefits of AFOs in CMT likely come from stabilizing joints rather than physically reducing foot deformity.

A study using standing CT scans evaluated how ankle-foot orthoses (AFOs) affect foot posture in 20 adults with Charcot-Marie-Tooth disease. Researchers found that standing in AFOs did not reduce cavovarus (high-arched and inward-curved) foot deformity compared to standing barefoot, suggesting that brace benefits may come from ankle stability rather than correcting foot shape.

Open the original source

Source

Source
PubMed / NCBI
Authors
Melissa R Requist, Andrew C Peterson, Lauren Crowe, Jason Wilken, Amy L Lenz, Bopha Chrea
Journal
Clinical orthopaedics and related research
DOI
10.1097/CORR.0000000000004137
PMID
42861874

References

  1. https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/42861874/

Reviewed and published by CMTFOI. Identified through the CMTFOI Discovery Engine and edited by the CMTFOI editorial team.

CMT Veda AI provides education and awareness only. It does not diagnose any condition and is not a substitute for care from a qualified clinician.