joint with precompressed spring elements to control plantarflexion and dorsiflexion designation given by the red cross in 2006: rigid afo designation given by the red cross in 2006: flexible afo designation given by the red cross in 2006: afo with tamarack flexure joint not mentioned by the red cross in 2006 not mentioned by the red cross in 2006 not mentioned by the red cross in 2006 provides functional elements against a drop foot and for stabilization when standing blocks both plantar flexion and dorsiflexion, with all negative consequences alignment not adjustable stiffness in plantarflexion not adjustable stiffness in dorsiflexion not adjustable provides a functional element against a drop foot. does not provide safety when standing and walking if the plantar flexors are weak alignment not adjustable resistance in plantarflexion not adjustable resistance in dorsiflexion not adjustable provides a functional element against a drop foot. does not provide safety when standing and walking if the plantar flexors are weak. blocks plantar flexion with all negative consequences alignment not adjustable stiffness in plantarflexion not adjustable resistance in dorsiflexion not adjustable provides functional elements against a drop foot. stabilization when standing and walking for weak plantar flexors with energy return provides dynamics in the ankle but prevents the physiological plantar flexion caused by the heel lever, as the movement of the orthosis takes place behind the ankle joint alignment not adjustable stiffness in plantarflexion not adjustable stiffness in dorsiflexion not adjustable provides functional elements against a drop foot. stabilization when standing and walking for weak plantar flexors. blocks both plantar flexion and dorsiflexion, with all negative consequences alignment not adjustable resistance in plantarflexion not adjustable resistance in dorsiflexion not adjustable depending on which functional elements are integrated in the ankle joint used, such an orthosis can enable the following functions: provides dynamics in the ankle adjustable alignment adjustable resistance for shock absorption during loading response adjustable resistance to prevent drop foot adjustable resistance for stabilization when standing and walking for weak plantar flexors with energy return knee-ankle-foot orthosis (kafo) in the field of paralysis orthoses knee-ankle-foot orthosis for the treatment of patients e.g. with paraplegia after spinal cord injury, poliomyelitis or multiple sclerosis. (designation of the orthosis according to the body parts included in the orthosis fitting: knee, ankle and foot, english abbreviation: kafo for knee-ankle-foot orthoses) kafo is the abbreviation for ankle-foot orthoses; english name for an orthosis that spans the knee, the ankle and the foot. in the treatment of paralyzed patients, a kafo is used when there is a weakness of the knee extensors or hip extensors. the orthotic ankle joint forms the connection between the foot shell and the lower leg shell and the orthotic knee joint forms the connection between the lower leg shell and the thigh shell. a kafo can be roughly divided into three variants, which essentially differ in the function of the mechanical knee joint used, "knee joint locked", "knee joint unlocked" or "knee joint locked and unlocked". kafo with locked knee joint - the mechanical knee joint of a kafo with locked knee joint is locked when standing and also locked when walking in both the stance phase and the swing phase in order to achieve the necessary stability when standing and walking. to sit, the user can unlock the knee joint. when walking with a kafo with a locked knee joint, it is difficult for the user to swing the leg forward in swing phase. in order not to stumble, the leg must be swung forward laterally to the direction of movement in the form of a circular arc (circumduction) or the hip of the affected leg must be raised unnaturally in order to achieve swing of the stiff leg. each of these incorrect gait patterns can lead to secondary diseases in the bone and muscle system. in any case, such compensatory movement patterns lead to increased energy consumption when walking. the film forrest gump impressively shows how the main character forrest gump is additionally hindered in his urge to move by such orthoses. for centuries, a kafo was built with mechanical knee joints that stiffened the knee of the paralyzed leg. even today, such orthotic fittings are still common. typical designations for a kafo with a locked knee joint include "kafo with swiss lock" or "kafo with drop lock lock". kafo with unlocked knee joint - the mechanical knee joint of a kafo with an unlocked knee joint can move freely when standing and can also move freely when walking, both in the stance phase and in the swing phase, in order to ensure that the leg swings through without stumbling, with the necessary knee flexion of approx 60° to allow. the user does not need to unlock the knee joint to sit. a kafo with a non-locked knee joint can only compensate to a small extent for paralysis-related uncertainties when standing and walking. in order to increase the safety function, an orthotic knee joint with a rearward displacement of the pivot point can be installed in the kafo. however, a kafo with a non-locked knee joint, even with a backward displacement of the pivot point, should only be used in the case of minor paralysis of the knee and hip extensors. with more severe paralysis with low levels of strength in these muscle groups, there is a significant risk of falling. a typical designation for a kafo with a non-locked knee joint is, among other things, "kafo with knee joint for movement control". kafo with locked and unlocked knee joint - the mechanical knee joint of a kafo with locked and unlocked knee joint is locked when walking in the stance phase. in the stance phase, the necessary stability and security is achieved for the user. the knee joint is automatically unlocked in the swing phase. by unlocking it in the swing phase, the leg can be swung through without stumbling. in order to be able to walk energy-efficiently and without stumbling without compensating mechanisms, the mechanical knee joint used should allow a knee flexion of approx. 60° in the swing phase.the first promising developments of automatic knee joints or stance phase locking knee joints emerged in the 1990s. in the beginning there were automatic mechanical constructions that took over the locking and unlocking. automatic electromechanical and automatic electrohydraulic systems are now available that make standing and walking safer and more comfortable. various terms are used for a kafo with a locked and unlocked knee joint. typical designations are "kafo with automatic knee joint" or "kafo with stance phase control knee joint". in scientific articles, the english term stance control orthoses sco is often used. this term differ from the ics classification, which is why one of the first two terms is preferable. different functional elements to compensate for a weakness of the dorsiflexors or a weakness of the plantar flexors can be integrated into the ankle joint of the orthosis depending on the combination of the degree of paralysis of the two muscle groups. it is of great advantage if the resistances for these two functional elements can be set separately. the functional elements to compensate for paralysis of the knee-securing muscle groups, the knee extensors and the hip extensors, are integrated into the knee joint of the orthosis via knee-securing functional elements. a kafo can compensate for the limitations of the named muscle groups through the variety of combinations of different variants in the stiffness of the foot shell, the different variants of the functional elements of a dynamic ankle joint, the variants in the shape of the lower leg shell and the functional elements of a knee joint. hip-knee-ankle-foot orthosis (hkafo) in the field of paralysis orthoses hkafo is the abbreviation for ankle-foot orthoses; english name for an orthosis that spans the hip, the knee, the ankle and the foot. in the treatment of paralyzed patients, a hkafo is used when there is a weakness of the pelvic stabilizing trunk muscles. relief orthoses relief orthoses are used both in degeneration and after injuries to joints. these includes torn ligaments and wear and tear of joints. relief orthoses are also used after operations such as a complete replacement of a joint or operations on the joint structure or other operations on bony, muscular structures or operations on the joint ligaments. relief orthosis may also be used to: control, guide, limit and/or immobilize an extremity, joint or body segment for a particular reason restrict movement in a given direction assist movement generally reduce weight-bearing forces for a particular purpose aid rehabilitation from fractures after the removal of a cast otherwise correct the shape and/or function of the body, to provide easier movement capability or reduce pain ulcer healing orthoses (uho) a custom-made ankle/foot orthosis for the treatment of patients having plantar ulcers is disclosed, which comprises a rigid l-shaped support member and a rigid anterior support shell articulated on a hinge to the l-shaped support member. the plantar portion of the l-shaped member further comprises at least one ulcer-protecting hollow spatially located for fitted placement in inferior adjacency to a user's plantar ulcer, thus allowing the user to transfer the user's weight away from the plantar ulcer and facilitating plantar ulcer treatment. the anterior support shell is designed for lateral hinged attachment to the l-shaped member to take advantage of medial tibial flare structure for enhancing the weight-bearing properties of the disclosed orthosis. a flexible, polyethylene hinge member attaches by hinge to the anterior support shell to the l-shaped member and securing straps securely attach the anterior support shell in fixed, weight-bearing relation about the proximal, anterior portion of the user's lower leg. foot orthoses (fo) main article: shoe insert foot orthoses (commonly called orthotics) are devices inserted into shoes to provide support for the foot by redistributing ground reaction forces acting on the foot joints while standing, walking or running. they may be either pre-moulded (also called pre-fabricated) or custom made according to a cast or impression of the foot. a great body of information exists within the orthotic literature describing their medical use for people with foot problems as well as the impact orthotics can have on foot, knee, hip, and spine deformities. they are used by everyone from athletes to the elderly to accommodate biomechanics deformities and a variety of soft tissue conditions. foot orthoses are effective at reducing pain for people with painful high-arched feet, and may be effective for people with rheumatoid arthritis, plantar fasciitis, first metatarsophalangeal (mtp) joint pain or hallux valgus (bunions). for children with juvenile idiopathic arthritis (jia) custom-made and pre-fabricated foot orthoses may also reduce foot pain. foot orthoses may also be used in conjunction with properly fitted orthopedic footwear in the prevention of foot ulcers in the at-risk diabetic foot. a real-time weight bearing orthotic can be created using a neutral position casting device and the vertical foot alignment system vfas. ankle–foot orthoses (afo) in the field of relief orthoses an afo is also used to immobilize the ankle and lower leg in the presence of arthritis or fracture.knee orthosis with toothed gear segment joints for the care of patients e.g. after a cruciate ligament tear. (designation of the orthosis according to the body parts included in the orthosis fitting: the knee, english abbreviation: ko for knee orthoses)ankle–foot orthoses are the most commonly used orthoses, making up about 26% of all orthoses provided in the united states. according to a review of medicare payment data from 2001 to 2006, the base cost of an afo was about $500 to $700. a recent study looked at the prescription practices amongst the clinical practitioners in the united kingdom to explore the material used, the thickness of the material, positive cast rectification, afo reinforcement, footplate design, padding, strapping system, and the height of an afo. this study found that there is a consensus in practice. knee orthoses (ko) in the field of relief orthoses a knee orthosis (ko) or knee brace is a brace that extends above and below the knee joint and is generally worn to support or align the knee. in the case of diseases causing neurological or muscular impairment of muscles surrounding the knee, a ko can prevent flexion or extension instability of the knee. in the case of conditions affecting the ligaments or cartilage of the