Foot casting as opposed to a foam impression. NOPCO http://www.nopcoclinics.com/
don warner saklad
National Orthotics and Prosthetics Company for foot orthotics?
Did you have casting done on your feet or an impression taken in a box
of foam?...
Is having the casting better than the box of foam or do the skills and
talents of the orthotist make more of the difference regardless of
which technique is used?...
Joe Jared
> What experience have you kind folks had with NOPCO http://www.nopcoclinics.com/
> National Orthotics and Prosthetics Company for foot orthotics?
None here, sorry.
>
> Did you have casting done on your feet or an impression taken in a box
> of foam?...
Biofoam is easy. However, it's fragile in shipping and by its nature,
makes it a little more difficult to use in terms of producing orthotics.
Assumed with Biofoam is that it is either a semi or full weight bearing
casting. As for prone/supine casting in plaster, I prefer prone simply
because the muscles in the foot and lower leg are more relaxed. With
prone casting in the neutral position, it is much easier to see the
mid-tarsal joints but for many labs this is generally unimportant. For
patients who are primarily working a job in the standing or midstance
position, this is crucial.
> Is having the casting better than the box of foam or do the skills and
> talents of the orthotist make more of the difference regardless of
> which technique is used?...
You can use common sense to figure that one out. Cast a patient in foam,
and then in plaster. Now imagine/examine the quality of the impressions.
Before considering that most casting is done in software, imagine pouring
plaster into each of them, and then guess at the amount of filing that
would be required to clean up each positive image of the feet. By now,
you've figured out that biofoam has a sudden drop off, nothing like the
patient's foot. Next, you find that the patient's foot wasn't dropped
vertically into the box, so at this point you start guessing. The
doctor's happy... whew! ;-)
Now, onto plaster casting. In forcing the patient to the neutral position,
the 5th metatarsal is completely deformed... Time to start guessing again.
In general, plaster casting is better, but skill has something to do with
it too. On my new cast/foot scanner, I just know some 300 lb patient will
put his foot through the window in spite of every good warning. I'm also
sure that in spite of any training, someone will place the heel to the
left instead of the right and expect a functional orthotic. You just
can't teach intelligence. ;-)
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