Clubfoot is an abnormal foot as a congenital disability in which one or both feet appear rotated inward and downward. In some cases, the foot and leg sizes may be smaller compared to each other. Accordingly, there is a need for customized shoes designed for clubfoot patients who has difficulty in wearing regular shoes to carry out their daily activities. This study examines using computer-aided reverse engineering system technology to design and manufacture customized boots with specific sizes and shapes. Reverse engineering with a handy scan 3D scanning tool with a tolerance of 0.001 mm was implemented to obtain 3D mesh data of the patient’s clubfoot (male with 65 years). The Curve Base Surface Modeling method provided 3D-CAD drawings of the insole and shoe, the last models, precisely and following the size and shape of the patient’s foot. This CAD data could be appropriately transferred to CNC machines and PowerMill CAM software to obtain patterns of insole and shoe-last from EVA foam rubber and wood. Both ways were well fitted with leather by a shoemaker into a pair of customized clubfoot boots. The field boot-wearing test used feedback from the clubfoot patient wear-testers to assess the functionality and acceptability of the boot products. In this way, the club foot patient can able to perceive wearing comfortably and perfectly. In the field boot-wearing test, the patient could walk at a speed of 83.1% -91.7% faster (2 - 5 minutes/foot) than that when the patient wears the old boot design model. Significantly, the present approach may add knowledge theoretically and practically to use CARE system-based technology in treating clubfoot patients with the need for custom shoes.
Application of Computer-Aided Reverse Engineering System in the Design of Orthotic Boots for Clubfoot Patients