The Effects of D.I.Y Transverse Arch Orthosis on Hallux Valgus Angle and Pain in Adults with Hallux Valgus

Abstract

Objective: The purpose of this study was to investigate the effects of prefabricated orthoses which were a combination of a toe spacer and a transverse arch orthosis of young adults with hallux valgus on the hallux valgus angle and pain. Design: A randomized controlled trial. Methods: A total of twenty-two young adults with hallux valgus have voluntarily participated in the study. The participants were randomized to the Do-it-yourselftransversearch orthosis (DTO) group (n1＝12), and the control group(n2＝11) that used a toe spacer orthosis. The intervention was applied to each group wearing orthoses 5 times a week for more than 7 hours during the 4-week period. All subjects were measured for hallux valgus angle and pain at before-after intervention. Results: In the comparison of the effects within the groups, the effect of the intervention on the HV angle was significantly decreased in each group (p＜0.05). The DTO group significantly decreased the pain in the lumbar, knee, and foot(p＜0.05). The control group significantly decreased the pain in only the foot(p＜0.05). In the comparison of the effects between the groups, the DTO group was found to significantly decrease the pain in the lumbar and knee than the control group (p＜0.05). Conclusions: The results of this study confirmed that DTO is an effective method for hallux valgus. It is thought that can be used as basic data and to develop programs for effective non-surgical intervention in patients with mild HV.