TA Rupture responses part 2

TA Rupture responses part 2

Shane Jansen

1/6/2010

For what it is worth Shane, it sounds like this guy would be a great

candidate for the ToeOff or Blue Rocker AFOs, depending upon his size.
(both

made by Camp Scandinavia and sold through many distributors world-wide)

While it will not give him his full range of plantarflexion, it will

increase stability and symmetry in gait. While I would look at his ADLs
as

an important issue, I also think that the asymmetries that he would
develop

from such an unmanaged injury would be equally if not more important.
Good

luck with this patient, and please let me know what you end up
providing. I

would be interested to find out what worked for your patient.

 Bernie Veldman, CO

-------------------------------------------------------------------

Hi Shane,

Try the Allard Toe-of

Max Lerman C.O.

 -------------------------------------------------------

I am assuming TA is Achilles Tendon? not tibialis anterior?

 anyhow:

1. BlueRocker. Which is souped up TOEOFF (yes!). Now, what you want to
do is to take heat gun to the footplate and flare it down from midfoot
forward, so that it is slightly plantarflexed. you can easily fine tune
the right angulation.

2. you can do - surprise - a solid ankle afo with stiffer full length
footplate. A piece of compcore will work.

3. reverse Klenzack joints AFO.

4. Free ankle motion AFO with posterior check strap to prevent DFx. I've
done those few times, but you must bring posterior calcaneal footplate
aspect really high up, to have check strap attachment out of the shoe.

5. there's a posterior placed device for plastic AFOs, that does both
DFx assist and PFX control, but i had poor success with durability.

6. good old double action joints, springs posterior/pins anterior. can
be a metal AFO attached to the shoe, but will need a long tongue stirrup
for extended lever arm.

 -----------------------------------------------------------------------

Shane,

I just had a therapist ask if there is an orthosis out there that
provides Pf assist! We were talking about some sort of elastic cord
set up posteriorly. The user would have to be able to over-power the Df
resistance, though. She does not have a pt at this time, but was just
wondering out loud. I was envisioning using that stretchy cord
therapists use for resistance training, somehow attaching it to a free
motion AFO...but never went anywhere w/it due to time restraints & other
obligations.

2cents from a Prosthetist who sort of practices O

Good Luck & I love to hear/read your responses.

Rick Milen, CPO, PTA