RESPONSE SUMMARY: knee Ox attached to AFO

RESPONSE SUMMARY: knee Ox attached to AFO

Joan Cestaro

10/3/2001

Thanks to everyone for their input. It is appreciated. Following are
my responses:


I have done a few of these for the same diagnosis. However, my patients
were not quite as obese. I recently fit one of the new Townsend KAFO's
and it worked great. I would suggest attaching KO with screws to the
AFO section (drill, tap, and loctite). This will allow for easier
adjustments. I either cast for the KO over the finished AFO or the other
way around depending on the situation. Good luck.
Have you considered the Townsend KAFO? It is essentially a KO
incorporated
into an AFO, is sleek in design, and is quite rigid. I think it might
meet
her requirements. Thanks for the post
we prefered to use the GII kafo in fact about 3 months past we did a
similar type of patient.
I have had limited success in this type of circumstance with the GII
KAFO. The fact that there is no medial hinge makes it acceptable to the
patient. Still, I say limited success mainly because when you receive
patients packaged like this, I find that there is no perfect solution.
Generation II's # is 800-462-7252. Good luck.
Why don't you just fabricate a KAFO? Haven't used the Townsend KAFO
but it makes sense to have the unit be that vs. a KO/AFO.
Try calling Townsend Design and ask to speak to Jeff Townsend for
suggestions. They make a custom laminated KO with a single strut
extension down to a foot plate or a double upright extension. It
requires taking a full length KAFO cast. You can have a choice of knee
joints as well as ankle joints (all titanium). Good luck,
I have used a Donjoy ACL LITE ko with a plastic foot plate attached to
them..fx style with long side bars on them...it maintains
migration...easily washable, straps can be changes out and the pt can
donn and doff without much difficulty..I had an older woman who was able
to stay in her ALF with bilat kos this way...I riveted the footplate
right to the side bars of the ko good luck ,
Look at the GII literature, they very successfully attach a GII KO to an
AFO. Since it is a single upright KO you can use a lateral upright and
thus avoid the irritating contact on the inside of the thigh.
My impression is that you are applying either: 1. A custom AFO to a
conventional thigh section with the distal sidebars attached to the AFO;
or 2. Some brand of KO fixed to attach to an AFO. I would suggest the
former.
Your patient needs a thigh weight bearing KAFO...If you would like fab
Info please call.
Is there a reason why you can't just make her a KAFO rather than 2
separate devices? In the past I've done similar for this sort of
particular patient only to regret and ultimately joining the AFO/KO
together permanently. I'd go with a KAFO and get her used to the idea or
else I fear she'll be taking things apart as this didn't go with those
pants etc.
Your E mail is SCREAMING for one of the new Townsend KAFO's. These are
extremely lightweight but durable. We are a Townsend distributor, but
we have still seen excellent results.
Have you considered the Townsend KAFO? It is essentially a KO
incorporated
into an AFO, is sleek in design, and is quite rigid. I think it might
meet
her requirements. Thanks for the post



Joan K. Cestaro, C.P.
Rehabilitation Practitioners, Inc.
Winchester, Virginia