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.