Ankle-foot orthoses and balance: What we know and what we don’t
Alexander S. Aruin, Ph.D., D.Sc.
Departments of Physical Therapy, Bioengineering and Kinesiology
University of Illinois at Chicago
Host:
Time: 12:00 pm - 1:00 pm Wednesday, February 9
Location: GA Tech Student Center, Room 321
Abstract:
Ankle-foot orthoses (AFOs) are commonly prescribed to improve walking in individuals with stroke, cerebral palsy, and multiple sclerosis. The AFOs’ role is to compensate for pathological conditions by restricting the motion of the ankle joint in one or more planes. There is a plethora of evidence that AFOs are efficient in the management of various impairments affecting normal functioning of the ankle joint complex. At the same time, due to inherent mechanical stability provided by many AFO designs, the user’s balance could be enhanced or compromised. The effect of AFOs in static and dynamic balance control will be discussed.