Arvin Mina, Kamyab Mojtaba, Moradi Vahideh, Hajiaghaei Behnam, Maroufi Nader
Tehran University of Medical Sciences, Faculty of Rehabilitation Sciences, Tehran, Iran.
Prosthet Orthot Int. 2013 Apr;37(2):145-51. doi: 10.1177/0309364612454159. Epub 2012 Aug 20.
Ankle-foot orthoses are usually used in combination with footwear. Shoe design can have a significant effect on kinematics of the lower limb joints and line of action of the ground reaction force during walking. But, ankle-foot orthosis-footwear combination is not appropriate for indoor barefoot walking in some Asian cultures. In this study, we have modified a solid ankle-foot orthosis in order to set it in the same position as a solid ankle-foot orthosis-footwear combination.
To investigate the effect of a modified solid ankle-foot orthosis; a solid ankle-foot orthosis which can be locked in different positions on gait and balance performance in comparison with a conventional solid ankle-foot orthosis, a common solid ankle-foot orthosis-shoe combination in asymptomatic adults.
Cross sectional.
Two standard solid ankle-foot orthoses were manufactured with the ankle joint in neutral position. Then, one of these solid ankle-foot orthoses was modified in order to allow locking in a different alignment. Walk across, limit of stability, and sit-to-stand tests of the balance master system were performed while participants wore the modified solid ankle-foot orthosis aligned in 5°-7° anterior inclination without a shoe and a conventional solid ankle-foot orthosis-shoe combination.
There was no significant change in walking speed, step length, and step width with the conventional and modified solid ankle-foot orthoses. In addition, movement velocity and maximum excursion of the center of gravity during the limit of stability test were not different, although the maximal forward excursion of the center of gravity was longer when wearing the modified solid ankle-foot orthosis compared to the conventional solid ankle-foot orthosis-shoe combination (P = 0.000). Sway velocity of the center of gravity did not change during the sit-to-stand test.
The results demonstrated that the modified solid ankle-foot orthosis had the same effects as the conventional solid ankle-foot orthosis-shoe combination on the gait and balance performance of asymptomatic adults. Clinical relevance The findings of the present study can be used as the basis for further investigations on the efficacy of the modified solid ankle-foot orthoses in different neuromuscular populations in order to help people who do not wear shoes at home, as is the custom in some Asian cultures.
踝足矫形器通常与鞋类配合使用。鞋的设计对步行过程中下肢关节的运动学以及地面反作用力的作用线会产生显著影响。但是，在一些亚洲文化中，踝足矫形器与鞋的组合并不适合室内赤足行走。在本研究中，我们对一种坚固踝足矫形器进行了改良，使其处于与坚固踝足矫形器 - 鞋组合相同的位置。
研究改良后的坚固踝足矫形器；一种可锁定在不同位置的坚固踝足矫形器，与传统坚固踝足矫形器、无症状成年人中常见的坚固踝足矫形器 - 鞋组合相比，对步态和平衡性能的影响。
横断面研究。
制作了两个踝关节处于中立位的标准坚固踝足矫形器。然后，对其中一个坚固踝足矫形器进行改良，使其能够锁定在不同的对线位置。在参与者穿着前倾5° - 7°且不穿鞋的改良坚固踝足矫形器以及传统坚固踝足矫形器 - 鞋组合时，进行平衡主系统的步行穿越、稳定性极限和坐立测试。
使用传统和改良坚固踝足矫形器时，步行速度、步长和步宽均无显著变化。此外，在稳定性极限测试中，重心的移动速度和最大偏移量没有差异，尽管与传统坚固踝足矫形器 - 鞋组合相比，穿着改良坚固踝足矫形器时重心向前的最大偏移量更长（P = 0.000）。在坐立测试中，重心的摆动速度没有变化。
结果表明，改良后的坚固踝足矫形器在无症状成年人的步态和平衡性能方面与传统坚固踝足矫形器 - 鞋组合具有相同的效果。临床意义本研究结果可作为进一步研究改良坚固踝足矫形器在不同神经肌肉人群中的疗效的基础，以帮助那些如一些亚洲文化习俗中在家不穿鞋的人。
