Effects of the heel-to-toe rocker sole on walking in able-bodied persons.

BACKGROUND AND AIM: The most commonly prescribed external shoe modification is the use of rocker soles. The aim of this study was to evaluate the effect of a heel-to-toe rocker sole profile on specific temporal-spatial parameters and the kinematics of walking when added to footwear.

METHOD: Seventeen healthy adult volunteers participated in this study. For each subject, gait analysis was performed under two conditions that were tested in a random order: walking with either a baseline shoe with a flat sole or a modified shoe adapted with a heel-to-toe rocker sole.

RESULTS: Significant differences were observed between rocker sole conditions during initial double-limb support and second double-limb support during stance phase. In frontal plane movement, significant differences were observed between the rocker sole conditions but only during second double-limb support phase.

CONCLUSIONS: This heel-to-toe rocker sole may be useful for patients with conditions such as ankle arthrodesis or for use with ankle-foot orthoses where limited ankle motion is required.