2019 Volume 22 Issue 2 Pages 69-73
[Purpose] This study identifies the knowledge that Japanese pediatric physical therapists （PTs） should acquire during their undergraduate studies and continuing education for the successful application of lower extremity orthoses. [Participants and Methods] The study included 104 PTs questionnaires. We asked: Do physical therapy professionals possess sufficient knowledge to apply orthoses? Do you think that orthoses are studied adequately during undergraduate education and in continuing education? The participants that replied “No” answered further questions about insufficient knowledge. [Results] Items addressed during undergraduate studies and continuing education, which were marked as lacking sufficient knowledge, accounted for 40% of responses. Half of the responses were related to items in the questions about physical therapy today such as: “Evaluating the gait while partially adjusting the orthoses” and “Laws on the manufacturing and repair of orthoses.” These items were also included in the questions about undergraduate studies and continuing education. [Conclusion] The findings suggest a need to enhance knowledge of gait evaluations and laws about lower extremity orthoses among Japanese pediatric PTs during their undergraduate studies and continuing education.
