Knee braces and long legs?

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Knee brace fixed at a zero to 5 degree flexion angle, creating a long leg? 

We know that the knee is supposed to flex during stance phase, usually around 20-25 degrees (depending on speed and weight, increases in bot increases the flexion requirement) to create dampening from vertical oscillation of the pelvis. What happens if they cannot flex? This creates a virtual "long leg" on that side this will usually result in:

  • Increased vertical translation of the pelvis upward on the braced side and

  • A compensation to make up for this "long leg; circumduction in this case,  but it could be any of the other compensations that we have talked about in posts here on the blog. 



work arounds? They are tough as each can create their own set of problems

  • allow more flexion in the knee on the braced side (not always possible)

  • place a full length sole lift on the opposite side to make up for the difference

  • use crutches

  • use a skateboard : )

we are sure you have some as well that you would LOVE to share with us

Dr Ivo Waerlop, one of The Gait Guys

#shortleg #LLD #compensations #legbrace #gaitproblem #thegaitguys

 

K Shamaei, GS Sawicki, AM Dollar Estimation of quasi-stiffness and propulsive work of the human ankle in the stance phase of walking - PloS one, 2013 - journals.plos.org

MORAIS FILHO, Mauro César; REIS, Renata Albertin dos  and  KAWAMURA, Cátia Myuki.Evaluation of ankle and knee movement pattern during maturation of normal gait. Acta ortop. bras. [online]. 2010, vol.18, n.1 [cited  2019-04-25], pp.23-25.