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Anyone familiar with Vectorthotic?

Discussion in 'Biomechanics, Sports and Foot orthoses' started by Unitas, Mar 28, 2008.

  1. Unitas

    Unitas Member


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    I am looking for a custom orthotic and found these.
    Has anyone experience with this product? What are your opinions on its ease of use etc.?
     
  2. Not my cup of tea.
     
  3. Dikoson

    Dikoson Active Member

    I came across the vectorthotic in 2001. Im sure Andy Horwood was involved in its development (something rings a bell in my head!)

    Essentially it is a prefab injection moulded root platform device that comes in 5 sizes. The posts for the hindfoot click on (and often come off!!) The forefoot posts can be used medially or laterally and need a heat gun to apply (be careful, the adhesive becomes active a few degrees before the post material melts). The 1st ray can also be removed.

    I used it for a while a few years ago. Reasonable success but fundamentally it is a temporary device that unfortunately tends to fall apart too quickly. Its cheap and cheerful but there are more reliable and better designed pre-fabs out there

    Hope this helps

    Simon
     
  4. Unitas

    Unitas Member

    Thanks for the tip, very helpful thanks Simon.
     
  5. Dikoson

    Dikoson Active Member

    No worries
     
  6. That was my experiance apart from the "reasonable success" bit and the "cheerful" in "cheap and cheerful".

    IMO its basically a bog standard common or garden pre fab with lots of funky looking cross strutting and wedges you can stick on for heel / forefoot wedges.

    But lets face it, you can do that with a freelan or a slimflex or similar if you have a bit of self adhesive eva wedging and a bit of imagination. And as a prefab i think its shape and material is not the best.

    And a custom orthotic it ain't! Customisable, maybe. But then so is a bit of regen if you have some imagination!

    Regards
    Robert
     
  7. Unitas

    Unitas Member

    Thanks Robert, your experience with this product appreciated, will look at something different.
     
  8. Bob Longworth

    Bob Longworth Welcome New Poster

    I've used Vectorthotics for a few years now and find them versatile and long lasting. On average they need replacing every 12-18 months although I've had patients break them down in less time and others still fine 2+ years later.

    As with any tool, there are pros and cons with them. They are easy to customise once you get used to them and you can do pretty much anything with them that you can on a casted insole. I'm sure all insoles are the same - It's how you use them that counts. I'm pro prefabs and anti casted myself but that's just a personal choice and each practitioner must be able to put hand on heart and sleep at night.

    Lee Short presented at one of the Staffordshire conferences on research which involved them. The same prescription was used for a casted, CAD-CAM and Vectorthotic. There was no statistically significant differences between the casted and cad-cam devices, however the vectorthotics were statistically significant from the other two in reducing heel eversion and tibial rotation (measured with EMT I think).

    Are you out there Lee? Can you comment?
     
  9. Lee Short

    Lee Short Welcome New Poster

    Hi I used this product in my MSc study to see if like for like posting would hold up against two lab custom devices. Although only a preliminary study, It came out statistically better for rearfoot motion and tibial rotation- measured using EMT. The study is in the final throws of publication submission so I don't want to say too much.
    I do use this devise both in the NHS in my role as an extended scope MSK practitioner and private practice, but not solely. The device has the benefit of providing good motion control/ enhancement - on the day of assessment and can be an excellent 1st line to medium term device. The device has had a few modifications in the last two years with the additions of a midfoot saddle and Horwood extensions. These additions have been designed to enhance sagittal plane motion and prove added midfoot stability when required .
    (Although these have to be requested at the the time of ordering at no extra cost- The vect exrta cover). The shell of the orthotic can be heat moulded to adjust pitch and forefoot to rearfoot alignment with the use of a heat gun. I also use a sagittal pitched resin heel skive on this device along the axis of the subtalar joint for enhanced motion control when needed. I have not found a custom lab that can replicate the additional control that can be achieved by this method. The downside to the device is that the shell is a polypropylene shell that is stiffened with a chalk mix. It does tend to crack in individuals over 17 stone. I tend to combat this by strengthening the mid shell with resin glue and astro-shock when more flexibility is required. As Stated in an earlier posting "with a bit of imagination" you can actually do quite a lot with this device. It is extremely cost effective both to the private patient and NHS.
    I hope this is of some help.

    Cheers

    Lee Short
     
  10. SimonODonnell

    SimonODonnell Welcome New Poster

    I work in Harrogate (N.Yorks. UK), where up until 2004 one of the co-developers of Vectorthotics (Steve Bloor) worked. Occaisionaly, I see Mr Bloor's former patients who have used some of the first Vectorthotics that were available. Despite the top covers being worn, often Mr Bloor's former patients present with Vectorthotics that have been in continous use for around four years with shells that are intact and contrary to the above claims, posts that are intact. In this respect, they seem to frequently outperform the claims of their producers.

    As Lee Short describes, there is an outstanding level of versatility of these orthoses, but some experience is helpful. I have now used Vectorthotics at three seperate NHS trusts, who I understand have continued to use them after my departure. Interestingly, they fit in well with the modern day workplace philosophy of LEAN thinking.

    Simon
     
  11. Peter

    Peter Well-Known Member

    We have used Vectorthotics in South Tyneside for over 3 years now.
    From experience, I find them very effective in children, as they are accommodated into childrens shoes very easily.
    I have very had few problems with posts slipping, and have stopped covering them (if you chamfer the dorsal aspect of the anterior shell off, do not irritate the plantar metatarsal neck region).
    They do crack, and need more frequent replacement and review quicker than a custom device.
    If they do not reduce pts symptomology, I then move onto a custom device or Interpod ( which do not flex anywhere near as much along the shank.

    I do not believe there is an orthotic device that suits all foot types, pathologies, body morphologies, practitioners, pts or pockets!

    Just my opinion.
     
  12. Unitas

    Unitas Member

    Horses for courses then. Good to hear a broad spectrum of opinions about the performance of this device. With so many on the market its always useful to get feedback.
    Peter's comment regarding there not being a 'universal' device is very true.
    Thanks all.
     
  13. elaine yule

    elaine yule Welcome New Poster

    Id also like to express my support for vectorthotics, they are one of the most versatile and adaptive off the shelf orthoses ive used. I use other however shoe accommodation makes some of them poorer for use.
    I agree with some of the other postings that they cannot be used for all subjects, which you wouldnt expect with any off the shelf device, but i have found they rarely last less than 12-18 months. In those cases that are less than this prescription modifications are often required.
    Elaine
     
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