174 Journal of the American Podiatric Medical Association Foot orthoses are widely used by podiatric physi- cians to treat a variety of foot and foot-related condi- tions. Nevertheless, the term “foot orthoses” de- scribes a myriad of devices used to affect the foot in some manner. Historically, foot orthoses have been developed and prescribed in response to increased knowledge or assumptions about foot function. In addition, a practitioner’s previous clinical experi- ence, both positive and negative, affects his or her prescription of orthoses. This considerable variation of prescription among practitioners is further com- pounded by a lack of research on the effects of dif- ferent types of foot orthoses on foot pathologies. Without adequate research to provide an evidence- based platform, podiatric physicians vary consider- ably in what they prescribe. Furthermore, it is diffi- cult to develop guidelines for orthotic prescriptions when conclusive scientific evidence is not available. Therefore, it is important for these variations to be investigated and reported. Since Merton Root 1 introduced the functional foot orthosis in the 1950s and 1960s, many modifications and new techniques have been proposed to advance his original ideas. For example, several modifications to the preparation of the positive cast have occurred, including the Hice method, 2 intrinsic rearfoot post- ing, 3 the inverted foot orthosis developed by Blake, 4-8 the medial heel skive developed by Kirby, 9 and the DC wedge, 10 which originated in Australia. Other techniques have used similar principles, but have em- ployed radically different methods, such as polysec- tional triaxial posting. 11, 12 Techniques have also been Foot Orthosis Prescription Habits of Australian and New Zealand Podiatric Physicians Karl Landorf, DipAppSc(Pod), GradDipEd* Anne-Maree Keenan, BAppSc(Pod), MAppSc† R. Louise Rushworth, MBBS, PhD‡ This research project investigated the orthotic prescription habits of podiatric physicians in Australia and New Zealand. A 23-item question- naire was distributed to all members of the Australian Podiatry Associa- tion and the New Zealand Society of Podiatrists. When asked what type of foot orthoses they prescribe most often, 72% of respondents reported functional foot orthoses; the next most common response was prefabri- cated orthoses (12%). A typical prescription for functional foot orthoses consisted of a modified Root style orthosis, balanced to the neutral cal- caneal stance position, with the shell made from polypropylene and an ethyl vinyl acetate (EVA) rearfoot post applied. The majority of podiatric physicians surveyed used a commercial orthotic laboratory to fabricate their orthoses. However, New Zealand respondents were three times more likely to prescribe prefabricated foot orthoses, and males were twice as likely as females to manufacture the orthoses themselves rather than use a commercial orthotic laboratory. (J Am Podiatr Med Assoc 91(4): 174-183, 2001) *Lecturer, School of Exercise and Health Sciences, Camp- belltown Campus, Bld 24, University of Western Sydney, Locked Bag 1797, Penrith DC, New South Wales 1797, Aus- tralia. †Senior Lecturer, School of Exercise and Health Sciences, Campbelltown Campus, University of Western Sydney. ‡Fellow, Australian Faculty of Public Health Medicine; Senior Lecturer, College of Social and Health Sciences, Uni- versity of Western Sydney.