Ankle-Foot Orthoses (AFOs) are the most commonly used orthoses, making up about 26% of all orthotic brace solutions provided in the United States. AFOs are intended to control range of motion (ROM), position of your ankle, compensate for weakness, or correct deformities. AFOs can be used to support weak limbs, or to position a limb with contracted muscles into a more normal position. They are also used to immobilize the ankle and lower leg in the presence of arthritis or fracture, and to correct drop foot. Different types of control can be accommodated by creating a hinged or fixed ankle joint. Off-the-shelf/prefabricated carbon fiber braces can be matched to the patient’s size, or custom individualized AFOs can be created in-house at Evergreen using a negative cast taken by your practitioner.

Whatever the diagnosis, Evergreen will provide the AFO to propel you past obstacles and help achieve your goals. These devices can be used to protect, correct or limit motion at the joints by supporting a person’s limb that has suffered from loss of strength or alignment deformity due to disease or trauma. AFO’s can be a solid design at the ankle with no motion allowed, or with joints to allow certain degrees of motion. These design criteria depend on the goals and abilities of each patient.