Effect of three-hour ankle joint immobilization with an ankle foot orthosis on corticospinal excitability and ankle joint angle excursion during gait.
Tetsuya Karita, Akihiro Matsuura, Yoshihiro Kondo and 1 others
PMID 38075518WHAT IT FOUND
Three hours of ankle immobilization with an AFO reduced brain signals to leg muscles and altered ankle movement during walking in healthy staff.
The brain's output to the muscles dropped, and the ankle moved less naturally at key transition points in the gait cycle.
Key findings
01Corticospinal excitability, measured as brain signals to the tibialis anterior and gastrocnemius muscles, significantly decreased after three hours of AFO immobilization.
02Ankle joint angles at most transition points during gait changed significantly after AFO removal, showing less dorsiflexion and plantarflexion, though walking speed remained unchanged.
STILL TO COME
How it was doneWhat they foundWhat it means for PTs
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What it does not show
The study included only seven healthy young adults, so results may not apply to patients with stroke or other neurological conditions. There was no control group, so natural changes over time cannot be ruled out. The study measured immediate effects after three hours, so long-term consequences of AFO use are unknown. The authors noted that the small sample size limits generalizability to the clinical field.
Declared interests
The authors declared no funding or competing interests.
The easy way to misread this
Do not assume these findings apply to stroke patients or justify changing AFO prescription protocols. The study was conducted on seven healthy staff members, and the authors explicitly state that further research is needed in stroke populations to confirm clinical relevance.