A novel design conception of foot orthoses promotes normal walking in patients with pronated feet.

Only men were tested, so the results may not apply to women or to people whose foot shape differs from the male-based prototypes. The study had 30 participants and no conventional or custom-made orthosis comparison, so it cannot show this design is better than existing treatments. The reported outcomes were biomechanical measures and comfort, not pain or function. The expected match between pronation severity and orthosis stiffness was not statistically significant. The paper gives conflicting statements about CPEI: one results sentence says CPEI was significantly reduced, while other sentences say CPEI values increased and higher values indicate lower pronation. Finite element results come from a model based on one 50th percentile Chinese male volunteer, not from multiple patient geometries. The paper does not say whether participants or assessors were blinded to orthosis type.

Funding came from National Natural Science Foundation of China, Hunan Outstanding Youth Fund, Natural Science Foundation of Shenzhen, Lushan Lab Research Funding, and Central South University Research Programme of Advanced Interdisciplinary Studies. The supplied text does not give a conflict-of-interest declaration.

Do not conclude these orthoses are clinically proven or better than standard orthoses. The study measured short-term biomechanical changes in 30 men, not pain or function, and did not compare with conventional or custom-made orthoses.