Fig 1.
Offloading insoles information.
(A) Diabetic shoes. (B) Offloading aperture locations. (C) The offloading insole configuration. The diameter of offloading apertures is given. (D) Measure of the offloading locations: L means the percentage of foot length and W means the percentage of the foot width.
Fig 2.
Reflective markers are attached to the subjects’ bodies. The markers are located at ilium anterior superior, ilium posterior superior, femur greater trochanter, femur lateral epicondyle, femur medial epicondyle, fibula apex of lateral malleolus, tibia apex of medial malleolus, sternum jugular notch, back and low back. Eight markers are located at each diabetic shoe.
Fig 3.
The definition of region of interest (RoI) and region of foot (RoF).
The three black dots are the location of maximum average peak plantar pressure (APPP) of control insoles, which were defined as RoI for all offloading conditions of each subject. The dotted lines are the regions where the APPP is larger than 100 kPa. The dashed line rectangles are calcaneus, metatarsal head and toe regions which are defined by the regions where the APPP is larger than 100 kPa, and they were defined as RoF (calcaneus region, metatarsal head region and toe region). The RoI and RoF when analysing pressure time integral has the same definition.
Fig 4.
Width and length of centre of force (CoF) calculated from the two split treadmill force plates data.
Wl is left width of CoF, Wr is right width of CoF, Ll is left length of CoF, and Lr is right length of CoF. Y-axis is the walking direction (the positive direction is anterior), X-axis is the medial and lateral direction (the positive direction is right hand side), and Z-axis vertical to X-axis and Y-axis is the standing direction.
Fig 5.
The average peak plantar pressure of one subject under five offloading conditions and a control condition, each recorded at a normal walking speed.
The red dash cycle is the location of offloading aperture.
Table 1.
The mean average peak plantar pressure and shank distal end velocity of five offloading conditions and the control condition at the region of foot (RoF) and region of interest (RoI) for 10 subjects at three walking speeds.
Fig 6.
The plantar pressure and the pressure time integral in the regions of interest at the calcaneus and metatarsal heads during one gait cycle of ten subjects walking at normal speed.
The black circles and squares indicate the locations of peak plantar pressure at the calcaneus and metatarsal heads regions of interest respectively, while the blue and red shadows represent the pressure time integral at the calcaneus and metatarsal heads regions of interest, respectively.
Table 2.
The mean pressure time integrals and shank distal end velocity of five offloading conditions and the control condition at the region of foot (RoF) and region of interest (RoI) for 10 subjects at three walking speeds.
Table 3.
The mean centre of force width and length, and asymmetry of width and length of five offloading conditions and the control condition for 10 subjects at three walking speeds.
Table 4.
The mean arch index and total contact area of five offloading conditions and the control condition for 10 subjects at three walking speeds.