• Alessandro Bertini, Fiore Manganelli, Gian Maria Fabrizi, Angelo Schenone, Lucio Santoro, Tiziana Cavallaro, Matteo Tagliapietra, Marina Grandis, Stefano Carlo Previtali, Yuri Matteo Falzone, Isabella Allegri, Luca Padua, Costanza Pazzaglia, Irene Tramacere, Eleonora Cavalca, Paola Saveri, Andrea Quattrone, Paola Valentino, Stefano Tozza, Luca Gentile, Massimo Russo, Anna Mazzeo, Giuseppe Vita, Valeria Prada, Riccardo Zuccarino, Francesco Ferraro, Chiara Pisciotta, Davide Pareyson, and Italian CMT Network.
• Unità di Malattie Neurologiche Rare, Dipartimento di Neuroscienze Cliniche, Fondazione IRCCS Istituto Neurologico Carlo Besta, Milano, Italy.
• J. Neurol. Neurosurg. Psychiatr. 2024 Apr 12; 95 (5): 434441434-441.

BackgroundShoe inserts, orthopaedic shoes, ankle-foot orthoses (AFOs) are important devices in Charcot-Marie-Tooth disease (CMT) management, but data about use, benefits and tolerance are scanty.MethodsWe administered to Italian CMT Registry patients an online ad hoc questionnaire investigating use, complications and perceived benefit/tolerability/emotional distress of shoe inserts, orthopaedic shoes, AFOs and other orthoses/aids. Patients were also asked to fill in the Quebec User Evaluation of Satisfaction with assistive Technology questionnaire, rating satisfaction with currently used AFO and related services.ResultsWe analysed answers from 266 CMT patients. Seventy per cent of subjects were prescribed lower limb orthoses, but 19% did not used them. Overall, 39% of subjects wore shoe inserts, 18% orthopaedic shoes and 23% AFOs. Frequency of abandonment was high: 24% for shoe inserts, 28% for orthopaedic shoes and 31% for AFOs. Complications were reported by 59% of patients and were more frequently related to AFOs (69%). AFO users experienced greater emotional distress and reduced tolerability as compared with shoe inserts (p<0.001) and orthopaedic shoes (p=0.003 and p=0.045, respectively). Disease severity, degree of foot weakness, customisation and timing for customisation were determinant factors in AFOs' tolerability. Quality of professional and follow-up services were perceived issues.ConclusionsThe majority of CMT patients is prescribed shoe inserts, orthopaedic shoes and/or AFOs. Although perceived benefits and tolerability are rather good, there is a high rate of complications, potentially inappropriate prescriptions and considerable emotional distress, which reduce the use of AFOs. A rational, patient-oriented and multidisciplinary approach to orthoses prescription must be encouraged.© Author(s) (or their employer(s)) 2024. Re-use permitted under CC BY-NC. No commercial re-use. See rights and permissions. Published by BMJ.

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