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Ankle foot orthoses-footwear combinations

Our work indicates that tuning ankle-foot orthosis (AFO)-footwear combinations has potential to improve gait kinematics and kinetics in children with cerebral palsy.

Despite limited well-designed, adequately powered studies, we embarked on a program to enhance clinical practice. Prior research shows gait improvements after AFO-footwear tuning, but there remains minimal quantitative data on effects on kinematics and kinetics comparing untuned to tuned combinations. Further structured research is still needed on tuning effects on energy efficiency.

While highlighting these knowledge gaps, our goal is to conduct rigorous studies generating solid evidence. We aim to perform quantitative analyses of gait biomechanics pre- and post-AFO-footwear tuning. Robust findings would guide standardized tuning protocols to optimize gait. We will also examine tuning effects on energetics using metabolic measurements. High-quality research quantifying tuning outcomes can inform clinical guidelines for consistent, effective tuning practices, ultimately improving mobility for children with cerebral palsy.

Some of our Key Papers

The effect of tuning ankle foot orthoses-footwear combination on the gait parameters of children with cerebral palsy.

Eddison N, Chockalingam N. Prosthet Orthot Int. 2013 Apr;37(2):95-107. doi: 10.1177/0309364612450706. Epub 2012 Jul 24.

Ankle foot orthosis-footwear combination tuning: an investigation into common clinical practice in the United Kingdom.

Eddison N, Chockalingam N, Osborne S. Prosthet Orthot Int. 2015 Apr;39(2):126-33. doi: 10.1177/0309364613516486. Epub 2014 Feb 24.

Do research papers provide enough information on design and material used in ankle foot orthoses for children with cerebral palsy? A systematic review.

Eddison N, Mulholland M, Chockalingam N. J Child Orthop. 2017 Aug 1;11(4):263-271. doi: 10.1302/1863-2548.11.160256.

Does user perception affect adherence when wearing biomechanically optimised ankle foot orthosis - footwear combinations: A pilot study.

Eddison N, Healy A, Chockalingam N. Foot (Edinb). 2020 Jun;43:101655. doi: 10.1016/j.foot.2019.101655. Epub 2019 Dec 19.

The effect of tuning ankle foot orthoses-footwear combinations on gait kinematics of children with cerebral palsy: A case series.

Eddison N, Healy A, Needham R, Chockalingam N. Foot (Edinb). 2020 Jun;43:101660. doi: 10.1016/j.foot.2019.101660. Epub 2019 Dec 16.

Panagiotis Chatzistergos

Associate Professor

Prof. Nachiappan Chockalingam

Professor of Clinical Biomechanics

Nicky Eddison

Associate Professor

CBRT Staffordshire University