Iranian Rehabilitation Journal

en Foot Orthoses for Overweight and Obese Individuals: A Scoping Review of Biomechanical Interventions, Prescriptive Parameters, and Research Gaps ارتوپدی فنی Orthosis and Prosthesis مروري Reviews Objectives: Obesity significantly alters lower limb biomechanics, increasing plantar pressures and elevating the external knee adduction moment (EKAM), which predisposes individuals to musculoskeletal pathologies. Foot orthoses and footwear modifications are commonly prescribed to mitigate these forces, yet evidence regarding their efficacy and material durability in high-body mass index (BMI) populations remains fragmented. Methods: Following PRISMA-ScR guidelines, a systematic search was conducted across PubMed, Scopus, and the Web of Science from database inception to June 1, 2026. Empirical studies evaluating the biomechanical and clinical outcomes of foot orthoses in overweight and obese adults were included. Data were narratively synthesized utilizing the Synthesis Without Meta-analysis (SWiM) framework, and methodological quality was appraised using the Modified Downs and Black checklist. Results: Nineteen studies (encompassing 543 participants and 18 cadaveric specimens) met the inclusion criteria. Biomechanically, laterally wedged insoles significantly reduced peak EKAM by up to 7.7% in obese cohorts. Prescriptive material analyses demonstrated that high-density polyurethane (e.g., D120) and silicone formulations were highly effective in preventing rapid compression set and structural fatigue under simulated hyper-loading. Clinically, customized orthoses yielded immediate and short-term improvements in postural stability and musculoskeletal pain. However, most studies were constrained by acute, laboratory-based settings and small sample sizes, resulting in an overall fair methodological quality. Discussion: This scoping review mapped the available literature, revealing that while foot orthoses demonstrate immediate biomechanical efficacy in redistributing plantar pressures and reducing joint loads, their long-term clinical effectiveness and material durability in real-world settings remain unverified. The ultimate research gap identified through this conceptual mapping is a severe lack of long-term randomized controlled trials evaluating fatigue-resistant orthoses with simultaneous tracking of joint kinetics and clinical outcomes in obese populations. Obesity, Foot Orthoses, Biomechanical Phenomena, Weight-Bearing, Postural Balance 0 0 http://irj.uswr.ac.ir/browse.php?a_code=A-10-2863-1&slc_lang=en&sid=1 Fariborz Imani fariborzimani@uma.ac.ir No Department of Sports Biomechanics, Faculty of Educational Sciences and Psychology, University of Mohaghegh Ardabili, Ardabil, Iran AmirAli Jafarnezhadgero amiralijafarnezhad@gmail.com Yes Department of Sports Biomechanics, Faculty of Educational Sciences and Psychology, University of Mohaghegh Ardabili, Ardabil, Iran Mahrokh Dehghani m.dehghani@uma.ac.ir No Department of Motor Behavior, Ha.C., Islamic Azad University, Hamedan, Iran Elaheh Azadian azadian1@yahoo.com No Department of Motor Behavior, Ha.C., Islamic Azad University, Hamedan, Iran Ahmad Yazadnifar my.ahmadyazdani@gmail.com No Department of Sports Biomechanics, Faculty of Educational Sciences and Psychology, University of Mohaghegh Ardabili, Ardabil, Iran