Annals of Rehabilitation Medicine

"Ankle foot orthoses"

Original Articles

The Rigidity of Plastic Ankle-Foot Orthoses: Effect of Ankle Width.: Cho, Kang Hee , Kim, Bong Ok , Kim, Sang Soo , Jun, Kyung Jin , Lee, Young Shin; J Korean Acad Rehabil Med 2003;27(4):605-610.

Abstract

OBJECTIVE
This study was designed to analyse quantitatively the change in rigidity of plastic ankle foot orthoses (AFOs) corresponding with regulated ankle width and to find the appropriate ankle width for spastic ankles. METHOD: Five different plastic AFOs were fabricated according to the regulated ankle width. The resistance to dorsiflexion and plantar flexion movements was measured by bending the plastic AFOs at intervals of 2 degrees with the measuring device. Plantar flexion moments of hemiplegic spastic ankles were also measured. RESULTS: The rigidity of plastic AFOs increased nearly in proportion to the increase of the ankle width. The plantar flexion moments of hemiplegic spastic ankles increased in proportion to the severity of the spasticity. If the plastic AFOs would be used only for the prevention of toe dragging in swing phase, the ankle width of plastic AFOs could be reduced up to 60% which was enough to support the ankle in swing phase. CONCLUSION: These findings suggested that the degree of rigidity of plastic AFOs could be adjusted by trimming about the ankle to meet the individual patient's requirement. And this study could be helpful to quantify empirical approach of the prescription of plastic AFOs.

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Changes of Gait Patterns by the Ankle Foot Orthoses with a Variable Ankle Joint Stop.: Park, Jun Min , Choi, Kyoung Hyo , Chun, Min Ho; J Korean Acad Rehabil Med 1998;22(5):1129-1135.

Abstract
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Objective: To investigate the changes of gait patterns in subjects who use the ankle foot orthoses (AFOs) with a variable ankle joint stop.

Method: Six young subjects without a known physical disability were involved in this study. Double upright AFOs with three kinds of ankle joint stops (eg. AFOs with 85^oposterior stop, 90^oposterior stop, and 95^oposterior stop) were used for the right foot and a rigid shoe was used for the left foot. Gait patterns of the subjects using the AFOs with a variable ankle joint stop were evaluated with the three dimensional gait analysis system.

Results: The gait patterns of the subjects with a 85^oposterior stop AFO showed a shorter duration of single support phase than the subjects with a 90^oposterior stop or 95^oposterior stop. They showed the increased maximal knee flexion angles, decreased knee extension angles and decreased ankle range of motions by the kinematics. These linear changes in parameters and kinematics were statistically significant. In kinetics, the gait patterns of the subjects using a AFO with 85^oposterior stop had the largest maximal knee flexion moment and the gait patterns of the subjects using a AFO with 95^oposterior stop had the largest maximal knee extension moment. However these results were not statistically significant.

Conclusion: For the patients with uncontrolled ankle motion, the AFOs with 90^o or 95^oposterior stop would be more desirable than the AFOs with 85^o posterior stop, for the clearance of foot and stability of knees but not for the correction of the knee hyperextension.