OT-World: Special show on foot orthotics

OT-World 2022 (10-13 May 2022) is dedicating a special show to the supply of foot orthotics. The exhibition will show the complexity of optimal orthotic care at five stations. Guided tours of the show will be offered several times a day.

The stations will show the entire process of fitting patients with foot orthotics: from the evidence, through diagnosis/measurement and movement analysis, to production and final fitting with follow-up checks. Professional and evidence-based medical foot orthotic fitting is crucial for various indications such as diabetic foot syndrome, flat foot, pointed foot, high arch or clubfoot. Incorrect care can result in secondary diseases or even amputations.

Quality standards

The show is an initiative of Dr. Annette Kerkhoff, project manager of the Orthopedic Shoe Technology Competence Center, and Jürgen Stumpf, master orthopedic shoemaker, and various initiatives and professional associations. They are campaigning for compliance with minimum standards in the manufacture of insoles. Those standards were most recently violated in Germany by initiatives of health insurance companies that tried to sell foot orthotics online without the craftsman seeing the patient. This was stopped for the time being by the Federal Social Security Office (BAS) in October 2021. The presentation area at OT-World is also intended to reach representatives of insurance providers, politics and the media.
Guided tours of the special insoles show will be offered several times a day with a maximum of 12 participants. Free registration for the 45-minute tours will soon be available through the OT-World ticket store. In addition, several 30-minute presentations will be held daily on the stage. Among other things, the German Society for Interdisciplinary Auxiliary Device Care (DGIHV) will present its compendium "Quality Standards in the Foot and Shoe Sector," which will be published at OT-World.

Cerebral Palsy

Another special show will present professional and complex assistive device care for people with cerebral palsy. At five stations – corresponding to the five life stages of early childhood, school-age, puberty, transition to adulthood, and adulthood – visitors learn more about the special needs of individuals living with CP. From the first fittings of orthotics and shoes to standing and walking devices as well as suitable seating, the entire spectrum of assistive medical aids for the various ages and severities of illness will be presented.
OT-World is the largest industry platform for manufacturers, dealers, and service providers working in modern orthopedic treatment and care. An unparalleled combination of World Congress and leading International Trade Show, every two years OT-World brings together experts and stakeholders from all five continents and, as a core forum for innovation and exchange, sets standards for customized, patient-oriented treatment.

Opening by Federal Minister of Health

OT-World 2022 will be opened by the German Federal Minister of Health Karl Lauterbach on 10 May 2022 in a digital personal welcoming speech. "We are especially pleased that our first big international get-together in person after four years will be opened in an online speech by the Federal Minister of Health Prof Dr Karl Lauterbach", explains Alf Reuter, President of the German Association of Orthopedic Technology (BIV-OT). "For we can only shape the future of orthopedic treatment and care and secure it for the benefit of our patients if we work together with politicians."
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