[Purpose] This study examined the effect of the degree of the contact area between the insoles and soles on static balance. [Subjects and Methods] Thirteen healthy male and female adults voluntarily participated. All of the subjects wore three different types of insoles (no orthotic insole, partial contact, full contact) in the present experiment. The subjects were instructed to place both feet...

Positional plagiocephaly (deformational or occipital plagiocephaly) is the most common head-shape deformity, which is presented to specialist craniofacial units. The aim of management is to reduce pressure on the affected area in the expectation that brain growth will drive normalization of the head shape. Current management includes a variety of protocols based on repositioning advice or helme...

This study examined the energy cost of ambulation using the reciprocating gait orthosis (RGO) and the modified Isocentric RGO in paraplegic spinal cord injured subjects. In 4 subjects, the rates of O2 consumption per minute, O2 cost per metre, heart rate (HR), respiratory exchange ratio, velocity, and physiologic cost index (PCI) were measured during ambulation with the two orthotic devices. PC...

PURPOSE To evaluate the effectiveness of an orthotic undergarment on gait, balance, and life skills of children who have diplegic cerebral palsy (CP). METHODS Five subjects (ages 7-13 years) with CP at Gross Motor Function Classification Scale level I wore a TheraTog undergarment for 12 weeks. Data collection included Vicon Motion Analysis, Bruininks-Oseretsky Test of Motor Proficiency, and C...

There are two distinct ways of applying electrical stimulation (ES) as a treatment option for the lower limb of children with cerebral palsy (CP) – orthotic and therapeutic. Therapeutic ES is ES applied as part of an exercise regime whereas orthotic ES is ES applied to enable useful functional movement, e.g. ankle dorsiflexion activated by peroneal nerve stimulation during the swing phase of ga...

Functional electrical stimulation (FES) is defined as the electrical stimulation of muscles that have impaired motor control, in order to produce a contraction to obtain functionally useful movement. It was first proposed in the 1980s as a treatment option in children with cerebral palsy (CP). FES is used to achieve a direct orthotic effect during gait, for example, by triggering the dorsiflexo...