A microprocessor stance and swing control orthosis improves balance, risk of falling, mobility, function, and quality of life of individuals dependent on a knee-ankle-foot orthosis for ambulation

The C-Brace microprocessor stance and swing control orthosis was designed to overcome safety and functional limitations of traditional knee-ankle-foot orthoses (KAFOs) for individuals with lower limb paresis. However, a systematic comparison to established KAFO types has not been performed in a bigg...

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Bibliographic Details
Published in:	Disability and rehabilitation Vol. 46; no. 17; pp. 4019 - 4032
Main Authors:	Ruetz, Axel, DiBello, Tom, Toelle, Chris, Hemmen, Bea, Wening, Jason, Weber, Eric, Braatz, Frank, Winkler, Tobias, Steinfeldt, Friedemann, Umari, Marina, Rupp, Rüdiger, Kluge, Sascha, Krebs, Alexander, Wurdeman, Shane R
Format:	Journal Article
Language:	English
Published:	England 13-08-2024
Subjects:	Accidental Falls - prevention & control Aged Cross-Over Studies Equipment Design Female Foot Orthoses Humans Male Microcomputers Middle Aged Orthotic Devices Postural Balance - physiology Quality of Life Walking - physiology risk of falling microprocessor stance and swing control orthosis falls knee-ankle-foot orthosis KAFO Lower limb paresis
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Summary:	The C-Brace microprocessor stance and swing control orthosis was designed to overcome safety and functional limitations of traditional knee-ankle-foot orthoses (KAFOs) for individuals with lower limb paresis. However, a systematic comparison to established KAFO types has not been performed in a bigger sample. International multicenter, randomized, controlled, cross-over clinical trial. Legacy KAFO users at risk of falling were randomized to KAFO/C-Brace or C-Brace/KAFO use for three months with each orthosis. Primary outcome was balance assessed with the Berg Balance Scale (BBS). Secondary outcomes were falls, mobility, function, and quality of life. Intention-to-treat analysis with 102 participants. With the C-Brace, the BBS improved by 3.3 ± 6.3 points ( < 0.0001). Significantly fewer participants presented BBS scores <40 indicative of increased fall risk (16 vs. 36, = 0.018). Mean falls reduced from 4.0 ± 16.8 to 1.1 ± 3.3 ( = 0.002). Outcomes for function, mobility, and quality of life showed significant improvements with the C-Brace. The improvements in fall risk and mobility can be attributed to the stumble recovery and controlled knee flexion during weight bearing of the C-Brace and have a positive impact on the quality of life of users. The C-Brace represents an option for KAFO users with increased fall risk and reduced mobility.
Bibliography:	ObjectType-Article-1 SourceType-Scholarly Journals-1 ObjectType-Feature-2 content type line 23 ObjectType-Undefined-3
ISSN:	0963-8288 1464-5165 1464-5165
DOI:	10.1080/09638288.2023.2258342