Can an Ankle Foot Orthoses with a Heel Lift Decrease Genu Recurvatum in Adults Post-Stroke?

Genu recurvatum (GR) in persons who are post-stroke can lead to excessive peak knee extension (>5 degrees) during the stance phase of gait. If untreated, GR can contribute to knee instability, weakness, osteoarthritis, and chronic pain. The purpose of this study was to investigate the effect of combining a heel lift with an ankle-foot orthosis (AFO) on genu recurvatum during gait in persons who are post-stroke. We hypothesized that the heel lift would result in a decrease in peak knee extension during the stance phase of gait.

Source: Archives of Physical Medicine and Rehabilitation - September 25, 2019 Category: Rehabilitation Authors: Courtney Whyte, Alexandros Savva, Nadia Zaman, Calvin Chen, Chory Ashley, William Werner, Ona Bloom, Anthony Oreste, Rosemary Gallagher Source Type: research