BACKGROUND Improving ankle-foot orthosis design can best be done by implementing a user-centered approach. OBJECTIVE To provide insight into the ideas of ankle-foot orthosis users with flaccid ankle muscle paresis on the importance of activities and suggestions for an improved ankle-foot orthosis design. STUDY DESIGN A focus-group discussion with eight ankle-foot orthosis users (57 ± 5 year...

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 ...

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 ...

[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...

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...