A team from Toulouse compared the efficacy and acceptability of a new carbon fibre helical ankle-foot orthosis with a polypropylene posterior splint in 20 people with unilateral foot drop: eleven following sciatic injury, one with a sequela of acute anterior poliomyelitis, two with Charcot-Marie-Tooth disease and six with facioscapulohumeral muscular dystrophy.
- Functional gain was assessed after one week’s use of each orthotic.
- The distance covered in the six-minute walking test and the TUG (timed up-and-go test) improved more with the helical orthosis than with the posterior splint or the wearing of high shoes.
- User satisfaction as assessed by the QUEST (Quebec evaluation scale of satisfaction with the use of a technical aid) was significantly better with the helical orthosis.
