Assessment of a Prototype Easy-fitting Ankle-foot Orthosis

Abstract

[Purpose] A prototype easy-fitting ankle-foot orthosis was made, and its fitting time and ease of use were compared with those of a conventional plastic orthosis and belt. [Subjects] Fifteen (6 males, 9 females) healthy adults were the subjects. [Methods] Fitting time was measured when subjects were directed to fit the orthosis “as quickly as possible,” and at a self-selected speed without direction, and two-way analysis of variance was conducted on the results. Ease of fitting was evaluated using the visual analog scale, and analyzed with the Wilcoxon rank-sum test. [Results] For the fitting time, main effects of both the orthosis and speed were found. The prototype showed a significantly higher value for ease of use. [Conclusion] Based on both the objective and subjective assessments, the prototype can be said to be easy to use.