To increase gait capacity, Ankle-Foot Orthoses (AFOs) are commonly prescribed in people with neurological impairment such as stroke and incomplete SCI patients. AFOs aim to minimize gait deviations by providing stability during stance and facilitating toe clearance during swing. To further improve the efficacy of AFOs for optimizing gait capacity, several influential factors have been investigated. One of the most important factors is AFO alignment, which corresponds to the orientation of the ground reaction force (GRF) in relation to the joint rotation centers. By making small adjustments to the heel height of the AFO-footwear combination or the angle between the ventral shell and footplate of the AFO, the orientation of the GRF can be manipulated until optimal AFO alignment is achieved. The first part of this mini symposium will focus on the clinical importance and current clinical practice of AFO alignment by presenting several show cases. The second part of the symposium will focus on new technological developments that can be used for optimal AFO alignment. The validity, reliability and responsiveness of the use of inertial movement sensors in assessing Shank to vertical angle for AFO alignment will be presented. The second technological method is the automated localization of human joints in figures and videos by artificial intelligence (AI). The results of this technique in 20 patients will be presented. In the final part of the symposium, we will discuss the steps that are needed for a better implementation of AFO alignment in current practice of rehabilitation centers.
Statement of the objective / learning objectives
• Importance and current clinical practice of AFO alignment
• New technological developments to improve AFO alignment
