Plantarflexion Resistance of Selected Ankle-Foot Orthosis: A Pilot Study of Commonly Prescribed Prefabricated and Custom-Molded Alternatives
By DeToro, William W.; JPO - Journal of Prosthetics & Orthotics, Vol. 13, No. 2, pp. 39-44Publication Date: June 2001
Study documents the resistance to plantarflexion of a variety of commonly prescribed ankle-foot orthoses (AFO). A healthy 59-year-old man, 6 feet 3 inches tall and weighing 245 pounds, was recruited as a volunteer participant. A negative impression was taken of his right lower leg by using fiberglass casting tape wrapped over a single layer of cotton stockinet. The negative impression was filled with plaster to create a positive model. The model was used to fabricate eight different custom-made AFOs of varying biomechanical designs. Ten prefabricated ankle-foot AFOs were also fitted to the model. All of the orthotic designs are displayed in table format. The results demonstrated that commonly prescribed AFOs can be grouped according to the maximum static resistance provided when the orthosis is deflected to ten degrees of plantarflexion.
Published by: Lippincott, Williams, & Wilkins (Website:http://www.lww.com)
American Academy of Orthotists and Prosthetists (Web Site: http://www.oandp.org )
