Optimal Design and Fabrication of Shoe Lasts for Ankle Foot Orthotics for Patients With Diabetes

Patients with diabetes often desperately need ankle foot orthotics (AFO) to perform daily activities. In Indonesia, experienced shoemakers employ manual procedures and follow the prescriptions given by a doctor or orthopaedic technician. This process remains traditional in that each pair of AFO is handmade, not precise, and is time consuming. This article describes the development of the design process and fabrication of a new AFO product for patients with diabetes based on a computer aided reverse engineering system (CARESystem). The reverse innovative design approach method discussed in this paper sought to achieve the best shoe last. The results also shows a functional test with highly satisfactory results. The shape of the shoe fit the standard AFO and the first patient experienced comfort for the 4-week long testing period. This article proves that the CARESystem technology successfully reduced the time for both the design and fabrication of the AFOs by 64%.