Socks

Socks are an important element of the „wardrobe” of a child with MTA who uses UNFO orthoses or foot abduction brace, so their choice should be considered. How to choose good socks?

In the initial period of using the UNFO orthosis or foot abduction brace (eg. Mitchell brace or Denis Browne brace), the child’s foot with MTA remains „locked” in the orthopedic equipment for a large part of the time. Appropriate socks provide the feet with good ventilation, protection and comfort.

A sock should be like a second skin: well-fitted. A sock that is too big or too small can make it difficult to use a UNFO orthosis or FAB (foot abduction brace) and cause a number of skin problems that will ultimately lead to discontinuing the equipment. And that is not advisable. After all, we want to cure the defect, right?

A sock that is too small presses the foot, digs in, squeezes the toes and nails (which leads to nail deformation and its diseases that are difficult to treat). A sock that is too large wraps, rolls, pulls, introduces play, so that we are unable to control the position of the foot in the orthosis or shoe and the foot slides out. In this way, we can lose the correction previously obtained with plaster and treatment of the forefoot adduction (in the case of classic treatment) or delay its effects in the case of using UNFO orthoses.

Socks function

The main purpose of socks is to protect the foot from abrasions. At the very beginning of their journey to health, children’s feet spend most of their time in orthoses/shoes, which is why it is necessary to protect the delicate and sensitive skin of the child from various abrasions, dents, calluses, blisters as much as possible. Good ventilation and drainage of water when the foot sweats is another function of the sock. A wet foot in a wet sock very often suffers from various skin problems: bacteria develop in a humid environment and dig into the cracked, soaked skin. Such skin is also more susceptible to cracks when it dries: it is tense and pulls. Most often, wounds can be observed between or under the toes. Socks also play a key role in keeping the foot in the Mitchell orthosis/shoe properly in place: if the sock is well-fitted (it is the right size: not too big or too small) and has silicone elements on the sole, it eliminates foot movement in the shoe, because the silicone prevents the foot from sliding.

Characteristics of good socks:

• smooth: not ribbed, without appliqués, without obvious bulges or embroidery, without a seam on the toes (if possible). If they are ribbed, let it be a shallow rib, very delicate and starting above the ankle (if the socks are ribbed along their entire length, they can cut into the skin where the middle strap is fastened, causing wounds and severe bruising, as well as great discomfort);
• doublelayered: it is good if the socks are double-layered, although this is not a necessary condition. Double-layering reduces friction in the foot – the sock layer right next to the skin wraps it well, and the outer layer moves on the inner layer. Thanks to the double-layer structure, water is better drained from the foot. Two layers of material create a natural “distance” between the foot and the orthosis/shoe, cushioning any friction and pressure.
• silicone dots on the sole: dots, stars, hearts. Any silicone additions on the sole eliminate foot movement in the shoe, because the silicone “clamps” in the shoe insert;
• natural materials: cotton, linen, bamboo or mixtures of natural and synthetic fibers (with a predominance of the former);
• pressure-free: delicate elastic band that does not cut into the lower leg;
• long (when a FAB is used): a longer sock (almost a knee-high sock) also protects the calf skin from chafing or abrasions. In addition, a longer sock has a great practical aspect: when rolled up over the shoe, it makes it harder for the child to unfasten the shoe straps or untie them (the lace knots are under the rolled-up sock).

What is worth remembering?

It doesn’t matter what company you buy socks for your child from. What is important is that they meet most of the conditions we mentioned. It may be that during the period of using orthopedic equipment you will test many types of socks to find the perfect ones.

If the child uses UNFO orthoses, the sock does not have to be long, but it must be well-fitting and „tight”, so it is better to buy a sock in a smaller size than the one that is appropriate for the child’s current age..

If the socks are too long, it is important that the heel of the sock is still on the heel of the foot 🙂 – then there will naturally be some extra space in the toes: smaller or larger.

It is important, regardless of the type of socks, that when putting the foot into the UNFO orthosis or Mitchell boot, they are not rolled up anywhere, rolled up, have no folds, rolls, unevenness, are not twisted or turned, because often due to careless putting them on, a rolled up or rolled sock presses the foot in a tightly fastened shoe/orthosis and presses into the delicate skin of the feet. Each of us probably knows how uncomfortable it is to wear a shoe when the sock inside fits badly?