Orthoses
Draft — clinical review requiredWhat orthoses support or constrain, and how changing one joint can influence the whole limb.
What is an orthosis?
- An orthosis is an externally worn device that supports, aligns, protects or controls part of the body — for example the ankle and foot.
- It can allow, resist or block motion at the joints it crosses.
- Because the leg moves as a chain, changing motion at one joint (such as the ankle) can change motion at the knee and hip.
Orthosis, prosthesis and FES
- Orthosis: supports or controls an existing body part.
- Prosthesis: replaces a missing body part (for example after amputation).
- Functional electrical stimulation (FES): electrical stimulation of nerves to activate muscles — a separate intervention, not an orthosis.
Lessons
- Foot orthosesInserts worn in the shoe that change how load is distributed under the foot.
- Ankle-foot orthoses (AFOs)An ankle-foot orthosis (AFO) crosses the ankle and foot to control ankle motion during walking.
- Solid AFOA rigid AFO that blocks ankle motion in both directions.
- Posterior leaf spring AFOA flexible AFO with a narrow posterior strip that bends during stance and springs back in swing.
- Articulated AFOAn AFO with an ankle joint that allows some motion while blocking or limiting other motion.
- Ground-reaction / floor-reaction AFOA ground-reaction (floor-reaction) AFO uses an anterior shell to resist the tibia moving forward, influencing the knee in stance.
- Knee-ankle-foot orthosis (KAFO): introductory overviewA knee-ankle-foot orthosis (KAFO) extends from the thigh to the foot and controls the knee as well as the ankle.