The foot, one of the most complex musculoskeletal structures in the human body, provides a stable support to the body and features variable compliance to address the varying dynamic conditions characterizing motor activities. A correct foot posture is fundamental to avoid the onset of chronic pain [
1‐
3], lower limb injury or misalignment [
4,
5] and balance-related issues [
6]. Foot healthcare research is increasingly focusing on orthotic and prosthetic devices personalized on both patients morphology and functional demand [
7‐
9]. In particular, additive manufacturing technology allows to obtain custom devices and complex-shaped prototypes from 3D scans of anatomical segments [
10]. Although optical- and laser-based scanners are emerging as the new gold standard for the non-invasive acquisition of the 3D shape of leg and foot, the lack of automatic 3D processing tools and the initial outlay required for such technology have limited their wide application and diffusion; therefore traditional techniques are still in use [
11]. However, foot shape acquisition via plaster cast and foam impression is time consuming and largely operator-dependent [
12], and do not provide measurements of the foot shape [
13]. In order to overcome traditional operator-dependent methods and to improve accuracy and repeatability of the anatomical replica, novel low-cost 3D scanning devices, suitable for clinical applications, have been developed and tested [
14‐
16]. 3D scanning of the lower limb allows the design of custom devices, such as orthotic insoles, Ankle-Foot-Orthoses, special footwear and prosthetic limbs, and the measurement of foot and leg geometrical features. While callipers and measuring tapes have been the standard foot measuring systems to date [
17,
18], the need for a faster, more comprehensive and objective data collection has stimulated the development of software for automatic measurements of the foot main morphological parameters from 3D scans [
19,
20]. The foot is a rather complex anatomical structure, and some morphological features can be difficult to measure. While specific setups have been proposed [
21,
22], very few automatic measurement systems capable to accurately measure foot morphology from 3D scans have been reported. Most of these systems require the positioning of anatomical landmarks on the foot [
17,
23,
24], or their manual identification on 3D scans [
25,
26]. Therefore, while 3D scanning technology is replacing physical casts with digital replica, foot measurements are still operator-dependent.
A software capable of extracting the main geometrical parameters from 3D foot scans could provide objective operator-independent data which may be used by podiatrists and clinicians in the assessment of morphological alterations, and for customization of footwear and orthotic devices. In foot biomechanics, this tool could be exploited to shed more light on the relationship between foot morphology and joint mechanics, in relation to different foot types or pathologies.
The aim of this study is to present a new software for the automatic measurement of the foot main geometrical parameters from 3D scans of the foot plantar surface. The software does not require skin markers, manual identification of anatomical landmarks and measurements are not affected by the orientation of the foot on the scanning plate.