foot and ankle brace

[rach378]

I've been told that i have got to wear a ankle brace for the rest of my life, does any-one else have to wear one?
did it help and if it did how did it help you?

[LisaJoy]

Are they saying just an over-the-counter ankle brace (like athletes use) or a custom-made ankle-foot orthosis (AFO)? What problem are they going to address with it? I wear an AFO on my right leg -- my ankle is completely unstable and I have drop-foot (meaning I trip over it all the time if I'm not wearing the brace). Also because I have no muscle tone in my foot, it keeps my arch from collapsing because the foot part of the brace is rigid (actually the whole thing is rigid plastic). If you google "AFO" or "Ankle foot orthosis" you will find lots of information -- if you switch to the "images" tab, you'll see lots of examples.

[kitkatbar]

I wear an AFO (ankle foot orthosis) on my left leg since I have an unstable ankle, foot drop, and a paralyzed foot. It helps a lot since I don't have to be concious about picking my foot up whenever I walk, and I only wear it when I leave my house. I also wear an ankle brace on my right foot from time to time to keep my foot from rolling in, which is also quite helpful when I want to wear a shoe with a slight heel. It is however hard to find proper and cute shoes that can fit, but other than that, they're both quite helpful. :)

[sheena]

I also wear an AFO on my left foot and its extremely helpful. I no longer trip over myself and can walk long distances without any problems. I do however have a hard time walking on uneven surfaces such as sand or grassy areas. Does anyone else have this problem with their AFO?

[LisaJoy]

I can't walk in sand very well with the afo (or at all without it). I do okay on grassy or uneven surfaces if I have my crutch, but wouldn't attempt it without.

[rach378]

I've had it fitted at the hospital and yes it is AFO, it's my left ankle.
I fall over thin air and i have broken my little toe at least 15 times

[LisaJoy]

Ouch! Your poor toe. The AFO should really help. You'll get used to wearing it and won't want to go without (unless the weather gets really hot, which it probably won't in Wolverhampton!). Be sure to keep an eye on your foot and ankle for any red marks, especially when you first start wearing it. I never had problems with mine, but sometimes they have to be adjusted a little.

[Monique]

I've worn AFO's on both legs on and off for years. I don't find them very comfortable to wear, but they do help with my balance when I walk, so that I don't trip (as much). But right now, I have a bone spur on my left foot which rubs up against the brace and hurts.

[kidsrustx]

My son is going to have to wear an ankle brace as well (we just found out). Right now he's just using a regular ankle brace, but the OS said that if this is not comfortable we can come back and get fitted for a custom brace. Well, he's not wanting to wear it, because it's uncomfortable and because he can't move his ankle at all.

My questions: Does your ankle brace have a hinge? Is it low profile or a regular AFO? Is the custom brace more comfortable than the regular one? Do you have a picture of yours or know where a picture of a similar one is?

[LisaJoy]

My afo is the standard size (comes up to just below my knee. I find it to be quite comfortable except that it is hot in the summer time. It is rigid (no hinges). I'm not sure how they decide for or against hinges. While the hinges might give more mobility, I think they are also bulkier.

I really like my AFO because I have a hard time walking without it. I tend to wear it even at home.

Sorry, I don't have a picture. It is really old and grungy, though, so I think I'd be embarrassed to show it! It is also too big and slaps against my leg when I walk because I've lost about 30 lbs since it was made. But it is hard to get approval for a replacement.

Custom is really better than off the shelf.

[Gymp]

Actually my wife is getting an AFO custom made for her,the one she's been wearing up until now is ~8 years old.

She's also getting some physiotherapy as her foot has really stiffened up over the last few years and it's required for her to get the physio before the new AFO is made.We'll pay for about half and the government pays the other half,it's through the ADP (assistive devices program).All of the physio is government paid.

Gymp

[Alvy]

I used to wear custom-made AFOs after surgeries but my orthopaedic doctors never said that I've to wear them for long term. The longest I wore them were for about a year and a half.

Recently, I've been tripping over God-knows-what a lot of times and ending up in the ER. Now, my orthopaedic wants me to wear an AFO over my left foot (I've drop foot on both legs but my right leg is stuck in an externally rotated position so I can't wear an AFO on my right) and referred me to a podiatrist. I only have a slight drop foot on my right so it doesn't bother me that much. Plus I have a tilted pelvis which makes my right leg shorter than my left and thus, I get a better clearance off the ground anyways.

My podiatrist suggested a new AFO which is made of carbon-fibre. It is lightweight, off the shelf, fits a lot better in regular shoes and costs a bomb. I've tried it on and I must say it has helped me to clear the ground more and it offers more stability. It doesn't hinder my walking as compared to the traditional custom-made AFOs due to the flexibility characteristic of the material. It costs S$950 here in Singapore. Pretty costly I feel. I will most probably get it soon. I think this carbon-fibre AFO would help most patients who are able to ambulate and have drop foot. It's much easier to walk with it as it has some sort of "spring-like effect".

Click on the website link, it looks like this:
http://www.neuromuscular-orthotics.com.au/images/Carbon%20Fibre%20AFO%27s.jpg

There are of course, other versions of it elsewhere in other countries. As for Singapore, this seems to be the only version of the carbon-fibre AFO. You can google "carbon fibre AFO" and you'll find the different versions of them. Mostly in the UK, some in Australia and the US. =)

[usolyfan]

My three year old has had AFO's since she was just over a year old. She only wears them when she is in her mobile stander. She has RGOs for walking (which have an AFO on the bottom). I recently learned about http://www.afoliner.com/ they slip over the brace and allow you to go without socks which would be useful in the summer months.