Orthotic Services Glossary
100 terms total — 24 showing — Last updated 15 Sep 2026
Sagittal Plane Control
The management of forward and backward motion (flexion and extension) through orthotic design, particularly relevant to ankle and knee function during gait.
Offloading
The redistribution of mechanical load away from a vulnerable or injured anatomical area using orthotic devices, footwear...
Orthosis
An externally applied device designed to modify the structural or functional characteristics of the neuromuscular and sk...
Orthotic Checkout
A structured clinical review procedure confirming that a completed orthotic device meets the prescription criteria befor...
Orthotic Dispensing
The formal clinical process of issuing, fitting, and instructing a patient in the correct use of a prescribed orthotic d...
Orthotic Intervention
The clinical act of prescribing, fabricating, and fitting an orthotic device as part of a patient's treatment or rehabil...
Orthotic Prescription
A formal clinical document specifying the type, materials, design features, and functional goals of an orthosis to be fa...
Orthotic Shell
The rigid or semi-rigid structural component of a custom foot orthosis, typically formed from thermoplastic or carbon fi...
Orthotist
A regulated healthcare professional specialising in the assessment, design, fabrication, and fitting of orthoses.
Patellar Tendon-Bearing
A design principle in lower-limb orthotics and prosthetics in which load is transferred to the patellar tendon region to...
Pedobarography
The measurement and mapping of pressure distribution across the plantar surface of the foot during standing or walking,...
Pelvic Obliquity
A lateral tilt of the pelvis in the coronal plane, often addressed through leg-length discrepancy management or spinal o...
Pes Cavus
A foot deformity characterised by an abnormally high medial longitudinal arch, often associated with neurological condit...
Pes Planus
A foot deformity characterised by a reduced or absent medial longitudinal arch, commonly described as flatfoot, which ma...
Plantar Fasciitis
An inflammatory condition of the plantar fascia at the heel, commonly managed with foot orthoses; a frequent diagnostic...
Plantar Plate
A fibrocartilaginous structure on the plantar aspect of the metatarsophalangeal joints that stabilises the joint and res...
Plantarflexion
Movement at the ankle joint in which the plantar surface of the foot is directed downward, away from the anterior leg, a...
Plastazote
A proprietary cross-linked polyethylene foam used in orthotic fabrication, valued for its heat-mouldability and pressure...
Polypropylene
A rigid thermoplastic polymer commonly used for structural orthotic shells due to its strength, light weight, and formab...
Posterior Leaf Spring
A lightweight, flexible AFO design featuring a narrow polypropylene or carbon fibre upright that provides dorsiflexion a...
Posting
The addition of wedge-shaped material to the heel or forefoot section of a foot orthosis to alter the angle at which the...
PRAFO
A positioning and rehabilitation ankle-foot orthosis designed to hold the foot in a neutral position, primarily used for...
Prefabricated Orthosis
A mass-produced orthotic device manufactured in standard sizes and adjusted to fit the patient, as opposed to a custom-f...
Pressure Mapping
The clinical use of sensor arrays placed in footwear or under an orthosis to record and display the spatial distribution...
Pronation
The inward rotation of the foot; in the foot, the combined movement of eversion, abduction, and dorsiflexion of the subt...