“What is ankle/foot orthosis used for?”

Many conditions are treated with AFOs (ankle foot orthosis). common uses are: drop foot, ankle instability, ankle pain, injuries, traumatic arthritis, etc...

They are used to give stability in the arch and take pressure off the forefoot and rear foot. Gives more stability on the lower extremity supporting the upper extremity

An AFO, or ankle foot orthosis, is used for a variety of problems. The most common is foot drop.

An ankle foot orthosis is mainly used to correct foot deformities, but there are other uses.

Ankle/foot orthosis (orthotics) are used to correct muscle imbalances that exist due to function of the foot. I recommend you be evaluated by a foot and ankle surgeon (podiatrist) to determine if an orthotic is right for you

There are many types of AFO, most of them are a custom made brace if you have severe arthritis, others are if you have no motion of your foot up or to the sides and it holds the foot and ankle in a certain position. There are a lot of types of AFO's out there and it depends on what your ankle and foot problem is the best type of AFO for you.

An AFO (ankle-foot orthosis) is used for several different pathologies of the foot and ankle, and there are different styles/types of AFOs. They are used for Drop Foot, Tendinitis of the foot and ankle, malalignment of the joints of the foot and ankle, degeneration of the overall structure of the foot and ankle, and other deformities and pathologies of the foot and ankle.

Usually to stabilize an injured tendon or ligament or to provided structural support for an unstable joint or arthritic condition

There are many foot and ankle problems helped by a brace - including ankle arthritis, muscle weakness and posterior tibial dysfunction, just to name a few

Morning,

An AFO, or ankle foot orthosis, is used for conditions where stability is need for the ankle or the rear foot. It is used to treat arthritis of the ankle or rear foot, drop foot deformities, paralytic conditions, and/or weakness of the lower extremity.

Dr. Lui

The movements of the bones and joints foot and ankle absorb the shock of walking. That is the function of the foot and ankle. Function follows structure. So, the alignment of the bones to one another is critical as the bones are hard tissue, and if aligned properly, they can handle the body weight. However, all of the bones are connected to one another by soft tissue structures, so, if the bones are not aligned optimally to one another, the body weight will shift from the bones or hard tissue to the soft tissue, and the soft tissues will fail. The stress theory of pain dictates identifying the stress and eliminating that stress you will eliminate the pain. Functional Orthotic devices are the conservative tools a doctor can utilize to align the bones and joints in the position to one another to relieve the stress. Surgical treatments are available to align the bones as well. Sometimes a combination of these methods are necessary to achieve the goal to eliminate the stress with the least amount of invasive treatments and the most desirable bracing techniques, as in shoe orthotics, and foot and ankle orthosis are both a form of functional bracing in addition to ankle knee hip braces or a combination of braces for the lower extremities for people with various extents of disabilities or limitations of the surgical candidate. We utilize these techniques for pediatric adult geriatric sports medicine and wound care in diabetic arthritis and patient populations with peripheral vascular and neurological disease.

Jan David Tepper, DPM, FACFAS, FACFAOM, FAAPSM

Thank you for the question but this question cannot be answered only by the attending physician. Ankle-foot orthosis to stabilize some mechanical pathology in your feet or ankle area. You need to check with the physician who suggested the ankle-foot orthotic.