STANDARDS,
SPECIFIC DETAILS
& JEOPARDY
ing portions of the foot, including the arch
throughout the standing and walking phases of
gait.” The foot is flexible as is the shoe, Total
contact is a physical impossibility in a removable shoe. Conformed by directly molding to
the patient's foot? With present day technology how can this be done without exposing a
patient to harm?
The same code goes on to specify, “The insert
must retain its shape during use for the life
of the insert (How long will that be?). The
layer responsible for shape retention is called
the ‘base layer’ in the code descriptor (How
would one define that?). This material usually
constitutes the bottom layer of the device and
must be of a sufficient thickness for the base
to maintain its shape during use (i.e., at least
1/4 inch of 35 Shore A or higher or at least
3/16 inch of 40 Shore A or higher).” Flexible
and bendable products by definition do not
retain their shapes. The material responsible
for maintaining the shape of the device must
be heat moldable? ls it obvious that many undefined points of performance, construction,
quality, dimension and longevity are generated
from A5512, without adequate specificity?
Specifying a Shore A designation is as close
"Where does this leave the producer of footwear products
specified by the Medicare directives?"
42
Pedorthic Footcare Association www.pedorthics.org
Photo from: @Shutterstock.com/Robert Przybysz
"Question, where does directive
A37076 demonstrate value as a
quality performance standard for
therapeutic footwear?"