Evidence map›Paper›PMID 29768332›Full record

Trial reportMedicine2018

Short-term effects of customized arch support insoles on symptomatic flexible flatfoot in children: A randomized controlled trial.

Ru-Lan Hsieh, Hui-Ling Peng, Wen-Chung Lee

Abstract readRandomized Controlled Trial
PubMed Full text at PMC Publisher
In one paragraph

Trial report in Medicine, 2018. The graph could read no effect estimate from its abstract, so it casts no vote on the map. Cited by 30 papers, 6 of them syntheses that pooled it.

0numbers the graph read from it
0cells of the map it votes in
30citing papers in PubMed, 6 pooled it
–field-weighted citation impact
1 · What the graph read from it

What it found

Each row is one number read from the abstract, on the scale the paper reported it, with its interval. Left of the dashed line favours the treatment, right favours the comparator. Under each row is the sentence it came from. New to these charts? A ten-minute tutorial.

The abstract states no effect estimate the extractor could read, or names no intervention and outcome on the map, so this paper lights no cell and moves no belief. It is still indexed, cited and linked below.

2 · The registry

The trial behind it

Trials whose registry record cites this paper, or whose number appears in the abstract. A trial that started after this paper was published is citing it as background, not reporting it.

Neither the registry nor the abstract names a trial number. If this is a trial report, that itself is worth knowing.

3 · Its place in the literature

Who cites it

30 citing papers in PubMed, 6 syntheses or guidelines pooled it.

  1. Pooled it
  2. Pooled it
  3. Pooled it
  4. Foot orthoses for treating paediatric flat feet.The Cochrane database of systematic reviews · 2022
    Pooled it
  5. Foot orthoses for treating paediatric flat feet.The Cochrane database of systematic reviews · 2022
    Pooled it
  6. Pooled it
  7. Review
  8. Review
  9. Lower Limb Biomechanical Observations in Hypermobile Children: An Exploratory Case-Control Study.International journal of environmental research and public health · 2025
    Article
  10. Article
  11. Article
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  13. Comparative study of the effects of custom-made insole and ordinary insole in adults with flexible flatfoot on different slopes.Technology and health care : official journal of the European Society for Engineering and Medicine · 2024
    Article
  14. Article
  15. Article
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  17. Article
  18. Review
  19. Article
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4 · The record

Corrections and comments

PubMed lists nothing against this paper. Absence here is not a guarantee, only a check that was made.

5 · Who and what money

Authors and funding

3 authors.

Ru-Lan HsiehDepartment of Physical Medicine and Rehabilitation, Shin Kong Wu Ho-Su Memorial Hospital Department of Physical Medicine and Rehabilitation, School of Medicine, College of Medicine, Taipei Medical University Department of Diagnostic Radiology, Shin Kong Wu Ho-Su Memorial Hospital Institute of Epidemiology and Preventive Medicine, College of Public Health, National Taiwan University, Taipei, Taiwan.
Hui-Ling Peng
Wen-Chung Lee

Funding

No grant is acknowledged in the PubMed record.

6 · The paper itself

Abstract

backgroundLimited evidence is available regarding the effects of insoles on pediatric flexible flatfoot because of the heterogeneity and low methodological quality of previous studies. The purpose of this prospective trial is to examine the short-term effects of customized arch support insoles on symptomatic flexible flatfoot in children by using the International Classification of Functioning, randomized controlled Disability, and Health (ICF) framework.

methodsThis study was conducted in a rehabilitation outpatient clinic of a teaching hospital. Fifty-two children with symptomatic flexible flatfoot were included. The children in the treatment group wore customized arch support insoles for 12 weeks, whereas those in the control group did not wear the insoles. Both clinical and radiographic measurements, including the navicular drop, foot posture index, Beighton hypermobility score, talonavicular coverage angle, calcaneal inclination angle, and calcaneal-first metatarsal angle, were used for diagnosing flexible flatfoot. Physical activity (10-m normal and fast walking, stair ascent, stair descent, and chair rising), physical function, and psychometric properties (Pediatric Outcome Data Collection Instrument and Pediatric Quality of Life Inventory) were evaluated at the baseline and 12 weeks after the intervention.

resultsCompared with the control group, the treatment group exhibited significant improvement in pain/comfort (P = .048), physical health (P = .035), stair ascent time (P = .015), upper extremity and physical function (P = .016), and transfer and basic mobility (P = .042) during the intervention period.

conclusionChildren with flexible flatfoot who wore customized arch support insoles for 12 weeks exhibited significantly improved pain/comfort, physical health, stair ascent time, upper extremity and physical function, and transfer and basic mobility. These variables belong to the domains of body functions and structures and activity and participation in the ICF framework. However, because the groups were not comparable, additional studies with larger sample sizes should be conducted.

Indexed as

Foot OrthosesChildChild, PreschoolExerciseFemaleFlatfootFollow-Up StudiesFootHumansMaleProspective StudiesQuality of LifeTreatment Outcome

Identifiers

PMID29768332
PMCPMC5976302

What OpenQuestion holds

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LicenceCC BY-NC-ND
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Registered trials

None linked

Read under generation 80e0d062 · epoch 390. Bibliography from PubMed, PubMed Central and OpenAlex; grants from NIH RePORTER; trial links from ClinicalTrials.gov; estimates, votes and beliefs from the OpenQuestion graph.