Comparison of Stiffness between Conventional and Hindfoot Afo

INTRODUCTION As the geriatric population is increasing, impairment related to ankle and subtalar arthritis has also become commonplace. Arthodesis is considered the standard procedure for severe ankle or hindfoot arthritis, but there are advocates of total joint arthroplasty, low tibial osteotomy, and distraction arthroplasty (1). In order to preserve patient mobility and function independence, ankle-foot orthoses (AFO) and hindfoot orthoses (HFO) have been utilized to treat disorders including ankle and subtalar arthritis (2, 3). Hindfoot orthoses (HFO) have the potential advantage of increased patient compliance because of smaller size and lighter weight. It is generally accepted that orthosis design affects stiffness, but there is limited published information regarding stiffness testing of these AFO or HFO devices (4). The purpose of this study was to evaluate the stiffness of AFO and HFO devices and to determine the effect of a standard brace modification used to improve patient comfort, the malleolar cut-out.