An orthotic (or-THAH-tik) is a support, brace, or insert used to align, support, or correct the function of a movable part of the body. The word is often used for shoe inserts that correct how the foot strikes the ground, but it applies to any such device. Orthotic and orthosis are closely related: orthosis is the formal term for the device, while orthotic is the everyday word and also names the field itself. In CMT, foot orthotics are commonly used to bring the foot into better alignment, often alongside an ankle brace like an AFO.
A Name That Does Too Much Work
Jean-Martin Charcot's name appears throughout medicine, but nowhere does it create more confusion than in the foot. Learn why the CMT foot and Charcot neuroarthropathy, also known as Charcot foot, share a name yet differ in how they develop, appear, and are managed.
