Orthotics is the medical field concerned with the application and manufacture of orthoses, devices which support or correct the function of a limb or the torso. The term is derived from the Greek "ortho", to straighten, and demonstrates the connection of the field to orthopedics. Sciences such as materials engineering, gait analysis, anatomy and physiology, and psychology contribute to the work done by orthotists, the professionals engaged in the field or orthotics. Individuals who benefit from an orthosis have sustained a physical impairment such as a stroke, spinal cord injury, or a congenital abnormality such as spina bifida or cerebral palsy.

Sunday, May 30, 2010

WalkAide ...another option for drop foot

Dropfoot (also known as drop foot, foot drop and footdrop) is a condition characterized by weakness or paralysis of the muscles involved in lifting the front part of the foot. It causes a person to either drag the foot and toes or engage in a high-stepping walk called steppage gait. A significant number of individuals – men and women, young and old – experience difficulty with the most simple day-to-day activities because of mobility dysfunctions such as peroneal nerve palsy that lead to dropfoot. WalkAide was designed to restore mobility to those individuals seeking a return to independence.

http://www.walkaide.com/EN-US/Pages/default.aspx

WalkAideAnother option for Foot Drop, the WalkAide is a new battery-operated, single-channel electrical stimulator that is used for functional electrical stimulation (FES). It is called a “Neural Prosthesis” and it utilizes a tilt sensor and an accelerometer to determine the position of the lower leg during gait. The device then uses FES to stimulate the dorsiflexor muscles to help control the foot position while walking in an effort to restore normalized leg motion.



The WalkAide is programmed by the Orthotist using a sophisticated computer software program that collects, processes, and optimizes gait data for the unique needs of each patient. The selection criteria for the WalkAide are very specific and not all patients with Foot Drop are appropriate candidates.

http://www.cascadeorthotics.com/html/walkaide.html





Potential candidates include patients who have had:



•Cerebrovascular Accident (CVA)

•Multiple Sclerosis

•Traumatic brain injury

•Incomplete spinal cord injury

•Cerebral Palsy

•Other upper motor neuron or central nervous system involvements

Sunday, May 23, 2010

Wednesday, April 28, 2010

What is Orthosis?

ORTHOSIS is the appliance. Also termed as splint, caliper, brace as well.

  • Following are aome types of Orthosis.
    UPPER LIMB ORTHOTICS
    Cock up splint
    Fracture Braces
    Finger Splints
    Dynamic Cock Up Splint
    Resting hand Splint
    Thumb Spica
    Shoulder Sling
    LOWER LIMB ORTHOTICS
    Foot Orthosis------------------------ For foot deformities
    Insoles/Arch Supports----------------For Flat feet, Foot problems
    Ankle Foot Orthosis(AFO)-----------For club Foot
    Ankle Foot Orthosis(AFO)-----------For Drop Foot
    Knee Orthosis(KO)------------------ For knee Deformities
    Knee Ankle Foot Orthosis(KAFO)---For Post Polio Paralysis,Genu Varum,Genu Valgum, knee Deformities,Cerebral palsy
    Knee Ankle Foot Splint(KAFS)------ For Night time correction of deformity
    Hip Knee Ankle Foot Orthosis(HKAFO)---------For Post Polio Paralysis,CP
    Hip Abduction Brace------------------For CDH
    Tibial Fracture Brace
    Femoral Fracture Brace
    SPINAL ORTHOTICS (for spinal deformities)
    Cervical Collars
    CTLSO----Milwaukee brace
    TLSO------Boston Brace
    LSO
    SOMI Brace
    Lumber belts
    Abdominal Belts