Approximate multi-objective optimization of medical foot support

Abstract

Although splayfoot does not seem to be a serious disease, it can cause fatigue in daily life. Therefore, the solution of this problem can make daily life much more comfortable, particularly for elder people. There are some commercial products to treat splayfoot, but they just add a small amount of support and are not personalized for each patient. In addition, if the support height is not correct for the patient, it can make the condition worse. Physical therapists are able to create foot supports for each patient, but use their experience to make them. There have been many studies made on the structure of the bones of the foot, and a summary of the desired positions has been reported by medical doctors, one of which is called the Mizuno standard. In this chapter, we will describe the design of a medical foot support using approximate multi-objective optimization, in order to position the height of the bones to the Mizuno standard, and show its effectiveness through myoelectric potential tests. © 2011 Springer-Verlag London Limited.