Responses to cowboy boots with an AFO

Responses to cowboy boots with an AFO

Paula Pivko

7/26/2014

Hi everyone and thanks for all the responses on what best to fit my patient who wants to wear boots. Most recommended Fillauer's dynamic walk with a single strut, Kinetic Research's the Noodle, or going custom. There is a concern with the heel height as his boots are not flat. So we would have to go custom and I think the cost is prohibitive to him. I am quite familiar with the Dynamic Walk and like it. As it happens I did show him a carbon fiber AFO that R & B Medical has that I had ordered for another patient. I did explain that because his boots are narrow toe and not squared that I wasn't sure it would work however we could try. I also suggested doing something custom that would incorporate the boot with the brace. I've seen a patient that had Walk on AFOs attached in the sole of his shoes much like one does with a metal AFO. I thought that could be an option for him to incorporate the AFO in similar fashion...although we'd have to deal with the angle of the boot. At this time unfortunately I don't think he is game to try anything. Many of you had stated he probably would need to change his style of boot to a square toe and he isn't willing to do even that. Some of you thought the boot would help the dropfoot but it doesn't. He still drags the foot although the boot probably offers varus/valgus control. I don't want to do this only to find out it becomes a fixture in his closet like the typical AFO we did for him several years ago but he does have the information and he can consider it. Thanks again! Paula Martinek, LPO