The prevalence of the flat foot condition and insole prescription in people with Down's syndrome: a retrospective population-based study.
Yoshihide Kanai, Hirotaka Mutsuzaki, Tomohiro Nakayama and 2 others
PMID 29706698WHAT IT FOUND
58 of 215 people with Down's syndrome had flat foot, and 47 were prescribed insoles.
First insoles came at 6.4 years on average, so PTs should check feet in children with Down's syndrome.
Key findings
0158 of 215 people with Down's syndrome were diagnosed with flat foot, and 47 of those 58 were prescribed an insole.
0254 people were prescribed a lower-extremity orthosis, and 48 of those 54 first received an insole.
03The mean age at first insole prescription was 6.4 years, and the mean renewal interval was 1.2 years.
STILL TO COME
How it was doneWhat they foundWhat it means for PTs
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What it does not show
This was a retrospective record review from one hospital, so it describes recorded care rather than testing whether insoles help. Only 50 of 215 people had an orthopaedic consultation, so flat foot may have been missed in others. The severity of flat foot and the effect of insoles on posture or movement were not measured. Some groups had small and uneven numbers.
Declared interests
Funded by a Grant-in-Aid for Community Research 2017 from Ibaraki Prefectural University of Health Sciences. The authors declared no conflicts of interest.
The easy way to misread this
Do not conclude that insoles improve walking or prevent foot deformity. This study only counted diagnoses and prescriptions, and did not measure posture, movement, or outcomes after insole use.