Ankle-foot orthosis is the most widely used and common orthosis, mainly applicable to children with cerebral palsy, hemiplegia and incomplete paraplegia. After years of observation, it was found that some patients did not achieve the desired results due to improper use of orthoses. Therefore, correct wearing is the key to the function of orthosis.
The basic function of ankle foot orthosis is divided into three aspects
1. Compensate for partial muscle weakness.
2. Stretch the tendon for a long time to resist muscle contracture.
3. Fix the normal functional position of the joint to avoid the loosening of the ligament after abnormal stretching.
There are nine types of indications:
01 Ankle instability
02 Mild paralysis of knee joint
03 Foot droop
04 Ankle and foot fracture or injury
05 Valgus or varus foot with moderate degree or above
06 talipes equinovarus
07 Hemiplegia
08 Cerebral palsy
09 paraplegia, etc
Ankle-foot orthoses can be divided into two categories, the first is dynamic ankle-foot orthoses, and the second is protective ankle-foot orthoses.
01 Dynamic ankle and foot orthosis:
It is one of the most widely used heterogenous muscle tension orthoses in the world at present. It is made of thin and relatively soft materials. Because its upper and outer parts of the foot exceed the ankle, it is also called supraankle orthosis. After the anterior and posterior sides of the ankle are removed, the orthosis allows the ankle joint to maintain a certain degree of movement in the toe area and back area, which can not only correct the deformity to a certain extent, inhibit the spasm, maintain the normal alignment, but also maintain a certain range of movement of the ankle joint to promote the coordinated development of the lower limb muscles and improve the gait.
02 Protective ankle and foot brace:
For bedridden people, to prevent foot droop and varus deformity, the finished ankle and foot with soft lining are used to limit plantar flexion, and the plantar flexion angle is adjustable. Its function is to maintain and maximize back flexion, reduce plantar flexion when lying still, and prevent foot droop; Not suitable for walking. Applicable to the elderly bedridden.