Personalized 3D-printed diabetic insoles to reduce foot pressure
Official title: Patient Specific 3D Printed Diabetic Insoles to Reduce Plantar Pressure
Funded at VA Puget Sound Healthcare System · NIH-11310737 · Data updated 2026-11-12
This project makes custom 3D-printed shoe insoles with special lattice patterns to lower high pressure on the feet of adults with diabetes who are at risk for foot ulcers.
Quick facts
| Grant type | NIH-funded research |
|---|---|
| Study type | NIH-funded research |
| Funding institution | VA Puget Sound Healthcare System NIH-funded |
| Lab location | 1 site (Seattle, United States) |
| Project start | April 1, 2022 |
| Project end | September 30, 2026 |
| Funding year | 2026 |
| NIH project number | 5I01RX003539-05 |
| Project ID | NIH-11310737 on NIH RePORTER |
Who could benefit from this research
✓Could help
Adults with diabetes who have high plantar pressures, loss of protective sensation (neuropathy), a prior foot ulcer, or are otherwise identified as high risk for diabetic foot wounds.
✕Less likely to help
People without diabetes-related foot risk factors, those without high plantar pressures or neuropathy, or patients who need other types of orthotics for non-diabetic foot problems may not benefit.
What this research studies
You would receive three types of insoles: a standard-of-care insole, a 3D-printed insole designed from pressure maps, and a 3D-printed insole optimized by computer simulations. The team will scan your feet and use 3D printing with patient-specific lattice materials to make the custom insoles. They will measure plantar pressures while you stand and walk to see which insole best reduces pressure on vulnerable areas. The insoles will be compared directly to find whether the personalized designs shift pressure away from spots that cause ulcers.
Why it matters
Potential benefit: If successful, these personalized insoles could better lower pressure on vulnerable parts of the sole and help prevent diabetic foot ulcers and amputations.
How similar studies have gone: Early lab work and small clinical reports show 3D-printed insoles can redistribute pressure, but fully personalized metamaterial designs and larger head-to-head comparisons remain relatively new.
Where this research is happening
-
VA Puget Sound Healthcare System
Seattle, United States Active
Researchers
- Principal investigator: Muir, Brittney C — VA Puget Sound Healthcare System
- Study coordinator: Muir, Brittney C
About this research
- This is an active NIH-funded research project — typically early-stage science, not a clinical trial accepting patient enrollment.
- Some NIH-funded labs run parallel clinical studies or seek volunteers for related work. To check, contact the principal investigator or institution listed above.
- For full project details, budget, and progress reports, visit the official NIH RePORTER page.