The letter K stands for Kirby Skive.
A Kirby Skive or a medial heel skive are two names for the same thing. This unique accommodation is created by removing small portions of the positive cast of the foot’s medial plantar heel to create a varus wedging effect within the heel cup of the bespoke orthotic. To maintain rearfoot stability, extrinsic rearfoot posting is recommended.
Through the tailored orthotic on the medial plantar side of the calcaneus, the Kirby Skive allows for enhanced ground reactive forces, reducing heel eversion.
In millimeter increments, the size of the medial heel skive is established. The more you put in, the more varus wedging you’ll get in the heel cup. This allows for more force to be applied to generate supinatory movement.
Flexible flat feet, PTTD (Stage I and Stage II), and other types of overly pronated feet can benefit from Kirby Skives.
Patients with lateral ankle instability, lateral heel pain, or thin heel fat pads should avoid medial skives.
Do you have any concerns about skives? We’re here to assist you.
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