Abstract

The resurgence of interest in electronic podometry, a technique known for many years, has led to its potential use for clinical evaluation. The authors assessed the reliability of the method by examining several patients after triple arthrodesis of the foot. Podometry offered a simple and inexpensive means of localizing and quantifying the areas of increased pressure, even in cases of wart or corn removal, of characterizing the foot type, and of showing the appearance or persistence of varus or valgus of the heel and its dynamic effects on gait. This information may be useful in the follow-up of patients with pain that is difficult to analyze postoperatively, especially in the case of occupational injury with increased subjective symptoms. This preoperative assessment may also give a more precise definition of the surgical indications, especially concerning technical details, as for example in realignment osteotomy of the first metatarsal.