Investigation of the Effect of Custom Medical Insoles on the Level of Pronation and Weight Distribution in Adolescent Students with FlatFoot

Document Type : Original Article

Authors

1 Departmen of Sports Injuries and Biomechanics, Faculty of Physical Education and Sport Sciences, Shahid Bahonar University of Kerman, Kerman, Iran

2 Department of Exercise Physiology, Islamic Azad University, Isfahan (Khorasgan) Branch, Isfahan, Iran

3 Department of Statistics, Faculty of Mathematics and Computer, Shahid Bahonar University of Kerman, Kerman, Iran

4 Sports Injuries and Corrective Exercises, Islamic Azad University, Isfahan (Khorasgan) Branch, Isfahan, Iran

5 Department of Physiotherapy, School of Rehabilitation Sciences, Iran University of Medical Sciences, Tehran, Iran

6 Department of Sport Injuries and Corrective Exercise, Faculty of Physical Education and Sport Sciences, University of Tehran, Tehran, Iran

Abstract

Purpose:
Flat foot are among the most common musculoskeletal disorders in children and adolescents. The medial longitudinal arch of the foot plays a crucial role in regulating and evenly distributing body weight across the feet. This study aimed to investigate the effect of custom-made orthotic insoles on the degree of pronation and weight distribution in adolescent students with flat foot.
Methods:
This applied research employed a quasi-experimental pre-test/post-test design. Sixty male students diagnosed with flat feet were selected and randomly assigned to either an experimental group (n = 30), who received custom-made orthotic insoles, or a control group (n = 30), who received no intervention. A foot scanner device capable of analyzing the center of gravity and weight distribution was used to diagnose flat feet. Data were analyzed using Analysis of Covariance (ANCOVA) and its non-parametric equivalent, Quade’s Nonparametric ANCOVA. Statistical analyses were conducted at a significance level using SPSS version 27 (p<0.05).
Results:
The findings revealed a statistically significant improvement in pronation (P < 0.001) after eight weeks of using Computer Numerical Control (CNC) custom-made orthotic insoles in the intervention group compared to the control group. However, there was no significant difference in weight distribution between the right foot (P = 0.984) and the left foot (P = 0.965) across the two groups.
Conclusion:
Based on the results, custom-made CNC orthotic insoles significantly reduced pronation in individuals with flat feet. However, they did not lead to a significant improvement in weight distribution between the feet. Therefore, these insoles appear to be an effective intervention for correcting excessive pronation in adolescents with flat foot.

Keywords

Journal of Paramedical Sciences & Rehabilitation
Volume 14, Issue 3
November 2025

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