Biomedical Engineering and Bioengineering Commons^™

Creep Evaluation Of (Orthotic) Cast Materials During Simulated Clubfoot Correction, T. L. Cohen, H. Altiok, Sergey Tarima, P. A. Smith, Gerald F. Harris

Biomedical Engineering Faculty Research and Publications

The Ponseti method is a widely accepted and highly successful conservative treatment of pediatric clubfoot that relies on weekly manipulations and cast applications. However, the material behavior of the cast in the Ponseti technique has not been investigated. The current study sought to characterize the ability of two standard casting materials to maintain the Ponseti corrected foot position by evaluating creep response. A dynamic cast testing device (DCTD) was built to simulate a typical pediatric clubfoot. Semi-rigid fiberglass and rigid fiberglass casting materials were applied to the device, and the rotational creep was measured at various constant torques. The movement …