Alfred Gatt

Associate Professor.

Coordinator MSc Clinical Biomechanics Programme.

Alfred Gatt is an Associate Professor at the University of Malta and a Fellow of the Faculty ofPodiatric Medicine at the College of Physicians and Surgeons (Glasgow). After 20years as Manager of Podiatry Services in Malta, he focused on academia and research, especially in relation to biomechanics of the diabetic foot. He has published over 100 papers in various peer-reviewed journals and presented in leading Podiatry and Diabetes Conferences internationally. He is past President of the European Network of Podiatry in Higher Education (Enpodhe), founding Chair of the Association of Podiatrists of Malta and the Diabetes Foot Research Group at the University of Malta. His work is based on 3D motion analysis, medical thermography in diabetes, rheumatoid arthritis and CADCAM manufacture of custom foot orthoses. After obtaining several grants, he is currently working on medical devices aimed at diagnosis and management of diabetic foot disease.

Intelligent Foot Offloading Orthoses Technology (iFOOT) effectiveness to offload the high risk diabetic foot

An automated foot offloading device was developed at University of Malta, that has both the ability to measure plantar pressure and temperature, and to actively change pressure by activating certain regions within this insole. This trial involved the inclusion of 30 participants with diabetes who wore the offloading insole in therapeutic shoes. Once the highest pressure area was determined utilizing the in-build pressure sensors, the application suggested the optimal way in which insole could be configured so that this high pressure area could be reduced. Following an automated alteration in the insole, the participants walked again with the pressure monitored during gait. There were significant differences in the pre- and post- intervention pressures, p<0.001, thus demonstrating that an automated smart insole technology such as iFOOT could be a feasible method to offload the high risk diabetic foot.