Biomechanical Principles of Common Orthotic Treatment Concepts for Gait Problems in Cerebral Palsy - A Critical Consideration
- Authors: Daniel Sabbagh1, Jörg Fior2, Ralf Gentz2
- Institutionen: 1FIOR & GENTZ GmbH – Scientific Editing, 2FIOR & GENTZ GmbH – Management
- Form of Contribution: poster
- Congress: 25th Annual Meeting of the EACD
- Location: Newcastle, England
- Date: 10–12 October 2013
- Expert Association: European Academy of Childhood Disability (EACD)
Summary: Patients with cerebral palsy are often treated with ankle-foot orthoses (AFOs) to improve their pathological gait. According to the Amsterdam Gait Classification the pathological gait is divided into five gait types. A suitable AFO allows for an approximation to a physiological gait and a lower energy consumption. Depending on the gait type, different AFOs are used for treatment. Already existing AFOs do not fulfil all necessary requirements since they lack basic adjustment options. Optimally, the ankle joint of an AFO has three adjustment options that can be changed separately and that do not influence each other: 1. spring force, 2. alignment of the orthosis and 3. range of motion. Therefore, both dynamic and static orthoses should be produced with an adjustable ankle joint.
Keywords: cerebral palsy, neurological gait disorders, ankle-foot orthoses (AFOs), biomechanics, requirements