Diagnosing uneven pressure distribution during a patient’s gait cycle can mean the difference between lower extremity pain and no pain for that individual. When shopping around for such a product, you want something that is easy to set up, portable and can be a good precursor to prescribing an orthotic or additional treatment.
Apex Foot Health Industries’ iStep® system allows doctors to run a gait analysis in 30 seconds.
|  | | With the iStep®, you can run a gait analysis in 30 seconds. The device connects to any PC or laptop.
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“I have been using the iStep system by Apex for well over a year,” says Anthony Iorio, DPM, MHP, who practices with the Fairfield Podiatry Associates group in various locations in Connecticut.
“The iStep is very beneficial to my podiatric orthopedic populations. It is an easy-to-use pressure analysis and diagnostic tool,” notes Dr. Iorio, who also serves as Chief of Podiatric Surgery at St. Vincent’s Medical Center in Bridgeport, Conn., and is President-Elect of the Connecticut Podiatric Medical Association.
The iStep consists of a baropedometer, containing 1,024 barosensitive sensors, which measures the force exerted by the foot every 1cm2. According to Apex, you can conduct either a postural (standing) or dynamic (walking) test with the iStep system.
Relatively Easy Set-Up
By connecting the system to any desktop or laptop PC, you can quickly perform a complete mapping of the plantar pressure generated from a patient’s feet. The iStep software then analyzes the information and displays two- and three-dimensional images on a screen for your review. Once the analysis is complete, you can proceed to order a custom orthotic for the patient’s feet.
Purchasers of the iStep system have a choice of three different software packages depending on their needs: the Lynco, Anti-Shox and Sports. There is also the option of burning test results onto a CD.
Confirming And Communicating The Diagnosis
“During my podiatric orthopedic evaluation and examination, and to confirm my X-ray interpretation of what is going on, I sometimes utilize my iStep system — both the static and dynamic tests,” notes Dr. Iorio. “This is a great precursor to casting the patient for an appropriate functional or accommodating orthotic and it supports my clinical diagnosis of my patient’s specific foot type.”
Mark Spitz, DPM, who has a practice in Seal Beach, Calif., agrees that the iStep system can be helpful.
“It is more visual than X-rays and patients can better understand their foot problems by looking at the printout,” points out Dr. Spitz.
The fact that color-coded pressure points are easily visible on screen makes communicating a patient’s condition easier as well.
“Thanks to the great visual effects, this tool helps to better educate the patient on what is happening to his or her foot,” says Dr. Iorio. “Images are viewed on the screen and the differences in color help the patient to understand where his or her foot pathology predominates.”
Dr. Spitz adds that the system often helps in discovering leg length discrepancies.
Portability Is Helpful
The iStep’s relatively small dimensions allow doctors to have some flexibility in where they place the system in their offices. “I have enjoyed having the iStep in my office,” notes Dr. Spitz. “It is in my waiting room and, since the instructions for the unit can be heard by other patients, I have found it to be a good marketing tool.”
“The system can be utilized in any office facility,” concurs Dr. Iorio. “Additionally, it is ideal for foot screening in all health fair settings. Since it is directly connected to my laptop, it draws attention to the monitor and it is easily viewed by the patient. It is an excellent source of new patient referrals as I begin discussing some of the foot pathologies I view along with the patient.”
In fact, the only drawback Dr. Iorio sees regarding the iStep system is that it is not being used enough.
“It should be utilized more often by more people,” maintains Dr. Iorio, “particularly in primary prevention and screening for our high-risk population in order to prevent foot pathologies from occurring.” |
