We work with both practitioners and university educators to advance the understanding of orthotic therapy.
Our goal is greater reliability, repeatability and predictability in both manufacture and clinical application.
Our 17 year commitment to orthotic design and manufacturing is based on scientific research and clinical feedback - leading to better outcomes for patients and practitioners.
Committed to financing and resourcing research and education programs to facilitate deeper understanding of how biomechanical principles can be applied to orthotic design.
The advanced technology of our scanner offers a simple and highly accurate means of data collection and design selection, without the mess and fuss of plaster or box imprinting, and packaging and posting.
The scanned file backed up and stored and on our hard disk indefinitely.
The clinical data sheet includes a set of eight functional tests and observations which form the basis of defining the design. The data from these tests is critical for helping us provide the correct Kinetic Performance device for you.
Our Kinetic Performance device comes with a money back performance guarantee.
This test assesses the amount of force required to resupinate the foot about the subtalar joint axis. We grade this from low to high. The higher the level of resistance the more force is required from the orthotic to balance foot function. It is important to note that not only is this important for correction levels but also for where the centre of pressure is applied. This measure influences the arch apex position as well as the amount of correction to be applied to the orthotic design.
This test relates to the amount of force needed to initiate the windlass mechanism. We grade this test on three levels from low to high. The greater the force required to initiate the windlass the more the orthotic has to have design elements that help facilitate the windlass. The more the orthotic is designed with this in mind, the better the optimisation of timing during the gait cycle, and with less occurrence of soft tissue stress.
This is a non-weight bearing test and relates to how much we have to modify the design for the fascial chord. We grade this test from low to high. The more prominent and tighter the chord when the first MPJ is dorsi-flexed, the greater the design needs to be adjusted. This helps us to optimise the windlass and decrease the resistance to pivotal function at the first MPJ.
This observation is done with the foot in a relaxed non-weight bearing position. We grade this observation from low to high. This gives us an idea of how much the arch profile will change from non-weight bearing to weight bearing. The greater the change the more likely the foot has increased ligament hyper mobility. This can affect the amount of correction required in the design.
This observation is done in a relaxed stance position. We grade this observation from low to high. This gives us an idea of how much the arch profile will change from non-weight bearing to weight bearing. The greater the change the more likely the foot has increased ligament hyper mobility. This can affect the amount of correction required in the design.
This test is done with the patient lying prone and lifting one leg at a time until the femur is at 90 degrees. The lower limb is extended as close to vertical as possible. The higher the tension in the hamstrings the more the bent the leg will be at maximum resistance. This shows us how much we need to adjust the design for any possible sagittal plane limitation.
This test is designed to test the ankle joint stiffness within the closed kinetic chain. It’s done with the patient standing facing a wall with the foot perpendicular to and 10cm away from the wall. The knee is then flexed to see how close it can go to the wall. If the knee can touch the wall with the heel still on the ground we call this a positive lunge test. This test helps us evaluate ankle joint stiffness and to modify the orthotic design accordingly.
This observation is necessary so as to define the principal activity for which the orthotic is to be worn. Low level velocity activity can be described as standing occupations such as hospitality or retail. Medium level velocity activity can be described as Nursing, regular exercise walking. High level activity can be described as running, tennis squash, basketball, netball etc. All these activities can impact on the kind of design required.
These tests are invaluable for prescribing the most accurate Kinetic Orthotic product to get the best result. Data from these tests allows us to design and create the most precise orthotic for your patient’s needs.
If we were to simply contour to the patient’s feet, without taking into account the data from this range of tests, the device would not necessarily be the most ideal design for the patient’s needs…especially in situations where the design application is complicated.
We want to provide the best clinical support we can for our customers, and these observations and tests help us to do it.
