Table 1 An overview of the individual prescription variables
Prescription variable | Method of manufacture |
|---|---|
Cast Pour | Negative cast is held in the prescribed position, based on a bisection of the posterior heel relative to the supporting surface, while liquefied plaster is poured into negative cast |
  Inverted | Indicates that the negative cast, when poured, is held in an inverted position relative to the heel bisection |
  Neutral | Indicates that the negative cast, when poured, is held in a vertical position relative to the heel bisection |
  Everted | Indicates that the negative cast, when poured, is held in an everted position relative to the heel bisection |
Medial heel (Kirby) skive | Indicates a small amount of plaster is skived away from the medial heel of the positive cast (skive is generally angled 15 degrees varus/inverted to the plane of the plantar surface of the forefoot post) |
Rearfoot post | An addition, typically fashioned from a heat mouldable material, that is applied to the final orthosis to stabilise the heel in a vertical position or angle it in the frontal plane (also known as a heel stabiliser) |
  No post | No external rearfoot post |
  Extrinsic | An external heel post that stabilises the orthosis in a vertical position |
  Extrinsic (inverted) | An external heel post that tilts the orthosis into an inverted position |
  Extrinsic (everted) | An external heel post that tilts the orthoses into an everted position |
  Extrinsic (with motion) | An external heel post that has a bi-planar grind on the plantar aspect |
Arch fill | The plaster expansion applied to the medial longitudinal arch area of the positive cast |
  Minimal | A decreased plaster expansion |
  Standard | A standard plaster expansion |
  Maximum | An increased plaster expansion |
Flange | A midfoot extension of the final orthosis border, typically prescribed in conjunction with a deep and distally extended heel cup |
  Medial | A superomedial extension |
  Lateral | A superolateral extension |
Forefoot post | A corrective reference platform applied to the medial and/or lateral forefoot |
  Balanced to perpendicular | The reference platform applied to the plantar forefoot to hold the forefoot alignment as parallel to the supporting surface and perpendicular to the rearfoot |
  Intrinsic | The reference platform is applied to the positive cast |
  Extrinsic | The platform is applied to the shell of the final orthosis |
  No post | No reference platform applied |
1st ray cut out | The removal of the mediodistal section (sub 1st ray) of the final orthosis |
1st MTPJ | The removal of the mediodistal section (sub 1st MTPJ) of the final orthosis |
Plantar fascia groove | A groove that transverses the long axis of the orthosis (sub medial slip of the plantar aponeurosis) |
Metatarsal dome | A dome-shaped pad applied under or slightly proximal to the plantar aspect of the metatarsal heads |
  Intrinsic | The dome is removed from the plaster of the positive cast |
  Extrinsic | An external dome shaped pad is applied to the final orthosis |
Cuboid filler | A increased plaster expansion applied to sub-calcaneocuboid area of the positive cast |
Heel aperture | A circular area removed from the plantar heel cup of the shell of the final orthosis |