Effects of carbon fiber custom dynamic orthosis stiffness on lower limb motion and loading during gait: A pilot study.
Kirsten M Anderson, Wesley J Gari, Sara M Magdziarz and 3 others
PMID 40460642WHAT IT FOUND
Wearing any carbon fiber orthosis reduced ankle motion and foot loading compared to walking without one.
Stiffness level made little difference for most outcomes, suggesting compliant devices may be sufficient for offloading.
Key findings
01All three orthosis stiffnesses significantly reduced ankle range of motion compared to walking without an orthosis.
02Peak hindfoot and forefoot forces were reduced by 12–18% and 20–21% respectively across all orthosis conditions.
03There were few significant differences between the compliant, moderate, and stiff orthosis conditions for most measured outcomes.
STILL TO COME
How it was doneWhat they foundWhat it means for PTs
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What it does not show
Very small sample size (n=7) limits the generalizability of the findings. Short-term outcomes only; the study did not assess long-term effects or patient-reported pain/function. No direct comparison to other commercially available orthosis designs with different components (e.g., proximal cuff types). Participants did not undergo specific training to use the orthosis, which may affect gait mechanics compared to trained users.
Declared interests
Funded by the NIH (Extramural). The authors declare no conflicts of interest.
The easy way to misread this
Do not assume that stiffer orthoses are superior for offloading the foot in this population. The study found that stiffness level had little impact on most gait and loading outcomes compared to wearing no orthosis, suggesting compliant devices may be equally effective for reducing ankle motion and foot forces.
Summarised by AI from the full paper, without a clinician reviewing it. Check it against the source before it changes what you do. Read it on PubMed →