How to wear AFO correctly

 It is observed that  AFO doesn’t work well for some patients for  so many years due to improper wearing method. The AFO does reach to the desired effect.Obviously, the correct method of wearing orthosis is essential. Various orthosis is suitable for different patient.

For example: the main role for a child with cerebral palsy, patient with hemiplegia and incomplete paraplegia is to prevent and correct limb deformities, suppress tension, support, stabilize,improve. The effects reflect in fabrication and usage .Let me introduce precautions and methods of how to wear AFO Correctly as below:



Children with cerebral palsy

   Cerebral palsy: also known as CPP.The brain tissue exists damage prior to mature stage before birth, at birth, and within a month of birth ,resulting in non-progressive, non- reversal disease. Thereby  the main performance of the syndrome is forming abnormal posture and movement dysfunction.



  The main purpose of patients with cerebral palsy wearing orthosis: assist in standing and walking, correct deformities or consolidate correction effect, affecting muscle tension. Knee, ankle, foot deformations is prone to present when not wearing orthosis for a long time. The child's joint, especially foot, will be in a rapid compensatory restoration phase as result of correctly wearing orthosis and force lines correction. 

Doctors will recommend SWASH orthosis from MEDI-REHATEK  to help children with scissor gait.

We recommend that child(depending on the growth of foot) can replace orthopedic shoes every 3-5 months in response to the growth of baby.The driving force of orthosis doesn’t match with the receiving force of patient with improper wearing.It doesn’t play its due role,  may even be counterproductive.



Patients with low muscle tone

  The purpose of patients with low muscle tone wearing AFO is to give the child more support to facilitate movement. But wearing AFO may cause decreased muscle strength or muscle atrophy due to lack of exercise for a long time. On the contrary it may reduce the child's motor function. When the child is not wearing orthosis, parents should give the child with the appropriate massage and muscle strength training.

Also AFO  from MEDI-REHATEK  can help patients with foot drop.

Recently I read a blog of Function and classification of orthotics II that is very useful for us to know more about the orthotics.

Function and classification of orthotics I

Orthotics is a generic term of external device that is installed to human limbs, torso and other parts. It is designed to prevent or correct the limbs, trunk deformities,treat bone joint and neuromuscular disease and compensate for its function. Its object is to replace the missing muscles,prevent and correct deformities, make up for lack of strength,protect from pain,fix preoperatively and postoperatively to promote the recovery by an external force. 


Orthopedic brace is applied for trunk and limbs,orthopedic splint can fit for limbs also. Orthotics is effective and reliable, durable, safe, easy to adjust.Patients is willing to accept easily. The functions of orthosis is also for treatment besides functional compensation.Orthopedic rehabilitation technology is one of four major hemiplegia rehabilitation techniques as important as physical therapy, occupational therapy, speech therapy in modern medicine. 


No.1 The basic role of orthotics

1. Stable support 

limit range of motion for abnormal activity or unusual activity , stabilize joint, reduce pain, improve the load-bearing function. Lower limbs neuromuscular paralysis  orthosis can help  stabilize the joint.

Like medical wrist support form MEDI-REHATEK,

the orthotics offer stable supprot for wrist injuries.

2. Fix and protect 

Facilitate lesion healing by fixing limbs or trunk lesion

3. Prevent or correct deformities 

Correct bone dysplasia and bone deformities caused by external force through orthotics resistance forece. Such as deformity correction for abnormal growth and development of children 

Like SWASH orthosis from MEDI-REHATEK that will help children with  lower limb abductor tension increase (scissor gait)


4. Reduce load 

balancing limb or trunk bones, joints through the long axis of the load-bearing orthotics. 

Share the weight for limbs,trunk,the long axis of joints by orthosis.

Such as  The injured part of hemiplegic patient share the weight for contralateral leg.

Recently a a good blog of ORTHOTICS FOR PATIENT WITH HEMIPLEGIA PART III that is very helpful for patients with hemiplegia.

Orthotics offers a treatment for patients with hemiplegia II

(B) Classification and applications of orthotics for patients with hemiplegia

1.Lower limb orthotics

The common orthotics for hemiplegia patients includes knee-ankle-foot orthotics, knee orthotics, ankle foot orthotics.

(1)knee-ankle-foot orthotics

Patients stroked with a moderate and severe hemiplegia in Class I and class II who have the dysfunction of advanced brain such as aphasia, spatial agnosia,in addition to serious dysfunction of body movement and feeling. That is difficult for patients with severe hemiplegia to recover from rehabilitation due to the severity and complexity of dysfunction.In recent years, the proposed concept of the "therapeutic" orthotics is for patients with severe hemiplegia in early rehabilitation. Use of knee-ankle-foot orthotics and exercise therapy are in close connection,that promote the function recovery of lower limb motor.Patients with severe hemiplegia use with knee-ankle-foot orthotics in early therapy training.

It may help patients stand out of bed early,promote positive support reaction, stimulate proprioception, reconstruct equilibrium reaction mechanism. Meanwhile the knee-ankle-foot orthosis can keep the knee in slight flexion of 15-25 degrees , which can promote weight-bearing for lower limb , and induce and stimulate quadriceps contractile activity. Standing training can prevent muscle contractures and joint deformities as well as contralateral lower limb muscle atrophy, improve heart and lung function and increase the confidence of patients after using knee-ankle-foot orthosis.

Therefore, the use of lower limb orthotics is the specific self-rehabilitation thought of  being early out of bed ,walking and ADL.Especially it can promote lower extremity sports and walk function,recover and prevent the trophy effectively for patient with severe hemiplegia. Knee-ankle-foot orthotics can control knee and ankle joints, which can supplement and compensate  the lateral  weakened knee, knee flexion and knee hyperextension and so on,that ankle-foot orthotics can’t.

MEDI-REHATEK offers  lower limb orthotics  like Post-op Knee Support is very good for fixation of knee injuries.

I read about a  good Blog of ORTHOTICS FOR PATIENT WITH HEMIPLEGIA PART II, you guys should follow on them.

Orthotics offers a treatment for patients with hemiplegia I

Hemiplegia patients has low muscle strength, dystonia, movement control disorders, and depth of dysfunction of feeling depth and other issues, due to damage to the motor neurons Such as patient may have drop foot,pointed foot, foot inversion, toe flexion, knee flexion and knee hyperextension and other abnormal gait during walking.

If patitents have drop foot,we would like to introduce an Elastic Anke Foot orthosis ,that is one of lower limb orthoses.

The main purpose of hemiplegia rehabilitation is using orthopedic braces for patients with abnormal movement patterns, spasticity control, prevention and correction for deformity.That is a kind of compensation and orthopedic treatment for the disability. But in recent years influenced by reducing the number of days of hospitalization and improving the effectiveness of rehabilitation,the purpose of using orthopedic brace in hemiplegia rehabilitation changes. 

Orthopedic brace should prevent misuse and disuse syndrome and promote motor function and ADL ability recovery at early rehabilitation Therefore, the concept of "therapeutic" orthopedic brace is presented.

Recently I read an article about  "ORTHOTICS IN REHABILITATION TREATMENT" that is very useful,you  guys should follow it.

Primary function of spinal brace

1, Protect and correct

Prevent and correct for progressive deformity of spine caused by imbalance of muscle , gravity or abnormal force that contracts the tissue deformation .Wearing spinal brace can improve poor posture of spine, and correct deformity of spine.

Like Hyperextension Back Brace,

1.1Function ： Based on three-point-pressure system

Ensure the stability of thoracolumbar lordosis

1.2.Indications ： Conservative treatment and post-operative immobilization for spinal compression fracture

2, Immobilization and Support

Spinal brace can immobilize and support muscles that are weakened or paralyzed as well as unstable joint so that patient can sit or stand.So the injury site can be immobilized or kept in a comfortable position and function easily in order to prevent spinal instability, reduce complications and promote healing of ligaments and bones.

3, Eliminate or reduce pain

By means of limiting motion of spine and stabilizing the affected joint,it can reduce local pain and patients can walk and stand easily

Like Cervical Thoracic Orthosis,

3.1 Function:

Effective control head rotation by head gear, to stabilize cervical spine

Occipital gear maximum adjustable for various occipital bone types

3.2 Indication:

Emergency immobilization for acute cervical spine injury

4, Traction and bear free-load

Under help of pressure of the abdomen and chest with the respiratory motion ofbody's,the spine can be in traction on the longitudinal plane and bear free load. So it will be reducing the load-bearing among spines, helping promote subsided inflammation and healing of lesion or fracture,relieving oppression of nerve and spasms of muscle , increasing the strength.

But the side effects of spinal brace without the proper way of wearing.Like it may cause pain, osteoporosis inconvenient mobility, skin abrasions; Long-termwearing the spinal brace improperly might have atrophy of muscle , lowering lung capacity, consuming more energy in doing sports.Even some patients may have psychological dependence,improper way of wearing can exacerbate the disease or present with occult diseases.