A Portable Insole System for Actively Controlled Offloading of Plantar Pressure for Diabetic Foot Care
Plantar pressure monitoring is decisive in injury prevention, especially in at-risk populations such as people with diabetic foot. In this context, innovative solutions such as pneumatic insoles can be essential in plantar pressure management. This study describes the development of a variable press...
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MDPI AG
2025-06-01
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| Series: | Sensors |
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| Online Access: | https://www.mdpi.com/1424-8220/25/12/3820 |
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| author | Pedro Castro-Martins Arcelina Marques Luís Pinto-Coelho Pedro Fonseca Mário Vaz |
| author_facet | Pedro Castro-Martins Arcelina Marques Luís Pinto-Coelho Pedro Fonseca Mário Vaz |
| author_sort | Pedro Castro-Martins |
| collection | DOAJ |
| description | Plantar pressure monitoring is decisive in injury prevention, especially in at-risk populations such as people with diabetic foot. In this context, innovative solutions such as pneumatic insoles can be essential in plantar pressure management. This study describes the development of a variable pressure system that promotes the monitoring, stabilization, and offloading of plantar pressure through a pneumatic insole. This research was also intended to evaluate its ability to redistribute plantar pressure, reduce peak pressure in both static and dynamic conditions, and validate its pressure measurements by comparing the results with those obtained from a pedar<sup>®</sup> insole. Tests were carried out under both static and dynamic conditions, before and after the pressure stabilization process by air cells and the subsequent pressure offloading. During the validation process, methods were used to evaluate the agreement between measurements obtained by the two systems. The results of the static test showed that pressure stabilization reduced pressure on the heel by 32.43%, distributing it to the metatarsals and toes. After heel pressure offloading, the reduction reached 42.72%. In the dynamic test, despite natural dispersion of the measurements, a trend to reduce the peak pressure in the heel, metatarsals, and toes was observed. Agreement analysis recorded 96.32% in the static test and 94.02% in the dynamic test. The pneumatic insole proved effective in redistributing and reducing plantar pressure, with more evident effects in the static test. Its agreement with the pedar<sup>®</sup> system reinforces its reliability as a tool for measuring and managing plantar pressure, representing a promising solution for preventing plantar lesions. |
| format | Article |
| id | doaj-art-7072aa1453ee4f1b97affbc0495e2965 |
| institution | Kabale University |
| issn | 1424-8220 |
| language | English |
| publishDate | 2025-06-01 |
| publisher | MDPI AG |
| record_format | Article |
| series | Sensors |
| spelling | doaj-art-7072aa1453ee4f1b97affbc0495e29652025-08-20T03:29:39ZengMDPI AGSensors1424-82202025-06-012512382010.3390/s25123820A Portable Insole System for Actively Controlled Offloading of Plantar Pressure for Diabetic Foot CarePedro Castro-Martins0Arcelina Marques1Luís Pinto-Coelho2Pedro Fonseca3Mário Vaz4CIETI, ISEP, Polytechnic of Porto, rua Dr. António Bernardino de Almeida, 4249-015 Porto, PortugalCIETI, ISEP, Polytechnic of Porto, rua Dr. António Bernardino de Almeida, 4249-015 Porto, PortugalCIETI, ISEP, Polytechnic of Porto, rua Dr. António Bernardino de Almeida, 4249-015 Porto, PortugalLABIOMEP-UP, Porto Biomechanics Laboratory, Faculty of Sports, University of Porto, rua Dr. Plácido Costa 91, 4200-450 Porto, PortugalFaculty of Engineering, University of Porto, rua Dr. Roberto Frias, 4200-465 Porto, PortugalPlantar pressure monitoring is decisive in injury prevention, especially in at-risk populations such as people with diabetic foot. In this context, innovative solutions such as pneumatic insoles can be essential in plantar pressure management. This study describes the development of a variable pressure system that promotes the monitoring, stabilization, and offloading of plantar pressure through a pneumatic insole. This research was also intended to evaluate its ability to redistribute plantar pressure, reduce peak pressure in both static and dynamic conditions, and validate its pressure measurements by comparing the results with those obtained from a pedar<sup>®</sup> insole. Tests were carried out under both static and dynamic conditions, before and after the pressure stabilization process by air cells and the subsequent pressure offloading. During the validation process, methods were used to evaluate the agreement between measurements obtained by the two systems. The results of the static test showed that pressure stabilization reduced pressure on the heel by 32.43%, distributing it to the metatarsals and toes. After heel pressure offloading, the reduction reached 42.72%. In the dynamic test, despite natural dispersion of the measurements, a trend to reduce the peak pressure in the heel, metatarsals, and toes was observed. Agreement analysis recorded 96.32% in the static test and 94.02% in the dynamic test. The pneumatic insole proved effective in redistributing and reducing plantar pressure, with more evident effects in the static test. Its agreement with the pedar<sup>®</sup> system reinforces its reliability as a tool for measuring and managing plantar pressure, representing a promising solution for preventing plantar lesions.https://www.mdpi.com/1424-8220/25/12/3820diabetic foothealth and safetyoffloadingplantar pressurepneumatic insoleulcers |
| spellingShingle | Pedro Castro-Martins Arcelina Marques Luís Pinto-Coelho Pedro Fonseca Mário Vaz A Portable Insole System for Actively Controlled Offloading of Plantar Pressure for Diabetic Foot Care Sensors diabetic foot health and safety offloading plantar pressure pneumatic insole ulcers |
| title | A Portable Insole System for Actively Controlled Offloading of Plantar Pressure for Diabetic Foot Care |
| title_full | A Portable Insole System for Actively Controlled Offloading of Plantar Pressure for Diabetic Foot Care |
| title_fullStr | A Portable Insole System for Actively Controlled Offloading of Plantar Pressure for Diabetic Foot Care |
| title_full_unstemmed | A Portable Insole System for Actively Controlled Offloading of Plantar Pressure for Diabetic Foot Care |
| title_short | A Portable Insole System for Actively Controlled Offloading of Plantar Pressure for Diabetic Foot Care |
| title_sort | portable insole system for actively controlled offloading of plantar pressure for diabetic foot care |
| topic | diabetic foot health and safety offloading plantar pressure pneumatic insole ulcers |
| url | https://www.mdpi.com/1424-8220/25/12/3820 |
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