BACKGROUND Traditionally, the anatomical knee joint is locked in extension when walking with a conventional knee-ankle-foot orthosis. A powered knee-ankle-foot orthosis was developed to provide restriction of knee flexion during stance phase and active flexion and extension of the knee during swing phase of gait. OBJECTIVE The purpose of this study was to determine differences of the powered ...

Methods: Fifteen hemiplegic patients (men and women) who were at least 6-months post-stroke and able to walk without assistive device for at least 10 meters voluntarily participated in this study. The patients were examined with and without RAFO. Their functional mobility was evaluated through 10-meter walk test and Timed Up and Go (TUG) test. Also, paired t-test was used to analyze obtained data.

BACKGROUND A powered knee-ankle-foot orthosis was developed to provide restriction of knee flexion during stance phase and active flexion and extension of the knee during swing phase of gait. OBJECTIVE The purpose of this study was to determine its effect on the physiological cost index, walking speed and the distance walked in people with poliomyelitis compared to when walking with a knee-an...

Ankle-foot orthoses are commonly used in the treatment of spastic cerebral palsy to hold the foot in a position conductive to a more functional gait. This study, utilizing quantitative biomechanical techniques, evaluates the effects of a rigid ankle-foot orthosis and a hinged ankle-foot orthosis on spastic cerebral palsy gait. The subject was a 4.5 year old female diagnosed as spastic diplegic ...

BACKGROUND There are a wide variety of ankle foot orthoses used in clinical practice which are characterised by their design, the material used and the stiffness of that material. Changing any of these three components will alter the effect of the ankle foot orthosis on gait. OBJECTIVES The purpose of this article is to provide an overview on the available research on ankle foot orthosis-foot...

BACKGROUND In stroke and multiple sclerosis patients, gait is frequently hampered by a reduced ability to push-off with the ankle caused by weakness of the plantar-flexor muscles. To enhance ankle push-off and to decrease the high energy cost of walking, spring-like carbon-composite Ankle Foot Orthoses are frequently prescribed. However, it is unknown what Ankle Foot Orthoses stiffness should b...

[Purpose] The aim of this study was to develop and assess the applicability of an experimental ankle-foot orthosis during gait in patients with hemiparesis. [Subjects and Methods] This was a noncontrolled cross-sectional study. Ten adult patients with hemiparesis but who were capable of independent gait were included in the study. Gait assessment was performed using two platforms (EMG System do...

OBJECTIVE To compare walking energy cost between an anterior and a posterior ankle-foot orthosis in people with foot drop. DESIGN Within-group comparisons. PARTICIPANTS Twenty-three adults (14 women, 9 men; mean age 56.8 years (standard deviation 15.4)) with foot drop. METHODS PARTICIPANTS were asked to walk for 5 min at their self-selected walking speed under 3 conditions: (i) with shoes...

[Purpose] The aim of this study was to investigate the effects of an ankle foot orthosis on weight-bearing abilities of stroke patients by comparing weight loading during performance of tasks in various standing positions on the affected side. [Subjects and Methods] This study was performed with 16 stroke patients. To measure the weight loading value and percentage of weight loading in affected...

OBJECTIVE To measure walking speed and energy cost in patients with prior stroke with and without a carbon composite ankle foot orthosis. DESIGN Within-group comparisons of 2 walking conditions. PARTICIPANTS Convenience sample of 10 hemiparetic patients with a stroke at least 6 months earlier (average age 52 years) habituated to a carbon composite ankle foot orthosis. METHODS Subjects wal...