The effect of carbon fiber custom dynamic orthosis type on kinematics and kinetics of lower extremity joints in individuals with lower limb traumatic injuries.

Only 23 people took part, and all of them could walk 15 metres without a cane or crutch two or more years after injury. The results say nothing about patients with more recent injuries or greater disability. The two orthoses differ in several ways at once, including stiffness, cuff type, footplate and strut. The study cannot say which of those design features caused any of the differences seen. Neither orthosis was compared directly with the Intrepid Dynamic Exoskeletal Orthosis. Comparisons with military orthosis users come from separate studies of different people, so those figures should not be read as a head-to-head result. Participants only walked over level ground at a set speed in athletic shoes. Nothing here covers running, uneven ground or high-impact activity, and the findings cannot be extended to other commercial carbon fiber orthoses. The paper does not name one primary outcome. It compared many joint measures across three conditions, so an isolated difference between devices should be read with that in mind.

The authors declare that they have no known competing financial interests or personal relationships that could have appeared to influence the work reported in this paper. The journal listing records NIH extramural research support; the article text supplied gives no further funding details.

Do not read this as a comparison that shows which orthosis works better. The study measured joint angles, moments and forces during walking, not pain, walking speed or how patients functioned, and the differences between the two devices were limited.