A new opportunity to improve gait in patient's with cerebral palsy
SOMETHING NEW. FROM SOMETHING OLD.
Our approach to AFO technology tackles the problem of compromised gait cycle development head on. Start walking with us.
WHAT IS CEREBRAL PALSY?
Cerebral Palsy (CP) is the most common motor disability affecting children today. Though symptoms vary from person to person, CP is broadly recognized as a disorder that limits an individual's ability to move and maintain posture. A sub-category of CP, Spastic CP, accounts for 80% of all cases and causes hypotonicity, muscle stiffness, and exaggerated reflexes. A result of these symptoms is the prevention of normal muscle growth and a resulting non-optimal gait cycle. Such a gait cycle is characterized by lack of synergy between dorsiflexion and plantar flexion.
WHAT SOLUTIONS CURRENTLY EXIST TO COMBAT NON-OPTIMAL GAIT?
There currently exist a number of solutions to correct the non-optimal gait and accompanying motor limitations caused by CP. Pharmaceutical solutions like Botox and anti-convulsants have proven effective, but are only a short-term solution with many accompanying side effects. Surgical solutions are used in severe cases, but present complications and are not always a viable option. The most common solution is the use of an Ankle Foot Orthotic which is an external brace that stabilizes the ankle, thus improving mobility and gait. Current models, however, remain mostly unchanged from 1970 and provide only modest improvements in gait relative to deficits caused by spastic CP.
