Foot of the Week – Episode 22 – AFO brace donning

In this episode, a patient shows us his unique method for donning the Step-Smart AFO brace for drop foot. In most instances, Insightful suggests attaching the AFO brace to the shoe first and donning the shoe brace combination at once. In this example, the patient finds it easier to don the AFO brace first and then he slides the foot brace combination into the shoe.

Video Transcript:
Hi, Ian here from Insightful Products with Foot of the Week. I’m here with Joe Gallant and Joe has been using a Step Smart brace for a couple of years now. And last time you were here you showed me how you put it on, and I was impressed with your technique. Will you show it and explain it to us now.

Sure. I need to have a nice level surface, a chair that gives me about a 90-degree bend at the knees, and I put the brace on my foot first. I bring my left leg up, bring the foot over the right knee and then put my shoe on so. So, I’ll show you how I do that here.

So, you’ve got some spasticity I see in your foot.

Yes. But once I’m planted in the brace the foot relaxes very nicely into it.

I brought these scissors so we could cut the strap.

Thank you.

How much extra do you like here, maybe a half inch?

About a half inch there would be good. And the length on that one’s good.

As I bring my foot up it tends to relax down into the brace and it’s just simply a matter of slipping the shoe on and getting it snugged up. Everything comes right into place. He has developed a technique where he keeps the brace on his foot first and then the shoe on after. Oftentimes we like to see the brace in the shoe, and you slip the brace shoe combination on all at once. But that technique works for you and thank you for demonstrating.

Thank you very much.

That’s it for Foot of the Week and we’ll see you next week.