Relationship between care pathway features and use or non-use of orthotic devices by individuals with Charcot-Marie-Tooth disease: a cross-sectional, exploratory study.
Cédric BlouinAntoine PerrierPhilippe DenormandieFrançois GenêtPublished in: Disability and rehabilitation (2023)
Orthotic devices are massively underused. Follow-up and re-evaluation are infrequent. Care pathways, prescription and delivery of orthotic devices must be optimized to meet the expectations of people with CMT. Device fitting, individual needs, and changes in the clinical state must be re-evaluated regularly by specialists to improve orthotic device use.Implications for rehabilitationFoot deformities and foot drop contribute to disability in people with Charcot Marie Tooth Disease but use of orthotic devices is poor.To improve orthotic device use, regular multidisciplinary consultations and regular re-evaluation of the device by specialists in neuro-orthopaedics are important.The device fit should be regularly re-evaluated by the prescribing doctor or the practitioner who made the device.Regular multimodal evaluation of foot deformity, including muscle strength and length, and the individual's needs and expectations is also important to improve orthotic device use.