Physical properties of cross-linked polyethylene foam (Plastazote) under clinical conditions.

Cross-linked polyethylene foam (Plastazote) has been used in the management of painful foot disorders occurring in a number of disease processes. A series of mechanical tests have been performed under varying clinically encountered conditions to show a relationship between the deformation of the material and the load applied to it. This has allowed the development of a method of assessment of the footprint impressed in a weight-bearing insole, and may help to clarify the observed results of treatment.