Ankle joint and foot orthoses
Foot orthoses and foot supports relieve the strain on tendons and joints. They support the healing process and help people carry out movement patterns more effectively.
Foot orthoses and foot supports relieve the strain on tendons and joints. They support the healing process and help people carry out movement patterns more effectively.
Relief and stability
Your ankle joint connects your lower leg to your foot. So if you injure this joint or the adjacent tendons, it will not only be painful but will also severely restrict your mobility. Depending on your symptoms, you may need to wear a foot orthosis or foot support temporarily as part of therapy. In other cases, you may need to wear it permanently to relieve strain or stabilise joints, tendons or ligaments, or to increase your mobility.
What is a foot orthosis?
Orthoses are medical devices. They are prescribed by a doctor, who will typically consult an O&P professional to select the most suitable device. There are three main types of orthoses for ankle joints and feet: for stabilisation, for mobilisation and to relieve strain. These variants are specially designed to perform their respective purposes. Orthoses that are specially designed to relieve strain, for example, will often include functional elements such as joints that control, support and/or restrict movement. These orthoses are primarily prescribed as part of medical treatment. A foot orthosis impacts the entire locomotor system. For example, it can help to relieve shoulder or back pain resulting from postures users assume to avoid discomfort and can accelerate the healing process.
What is a foot support?
The primary function of a foot support is to stabilise the joint without restricting its range of motion. For this reason, supports are often worn not only during therapy but also afterwards for everyday activities, where they protect the joints and prevent injury. Unlike ankle and foot orthoses, supports are made of flexible material. However, the material is so finely meshed that the support fits very snugly. It stabilises the joint and also exerts compression on the area. Supports feature integrated pads on the inside and the outside. These anatomically shaped, elastic inserts have a massage effect that stimulates the tissue beneath.
When do I need an orthosis for my ankle joint?
Your doctor may prescribe you a foot orthosis for a variety of reasons. If you’ve fractured your heel bone, for example, you may be prescribed a heel relief orthosis to support the healing process and enable you to gradually increase weight bearing during therapy. Orthoses have also been shown to provide relief for people who have ankylosis of the lower ankle joint as a result of arthrosis.
If you injure your ligaments while engaging in sports or other everyday activities, multi-purpose orthoses such as the Ottobock Malleo TriStep can help. Thanks to its special design, this foot orthosis can be adjusted to the different phases of the recovery process – acute inflammation, new tissue formation and tissue maturation. Recovery is supported by a special exercise routine.
When do I need a support for my ankle joint?
Irritation or swelling in the ankle joint, ligament instability, joint effusion or achillodynia (caused by strain to the Achilles tendon) can be painful and restrict natural movement patterns. A foot support selected carefully to address the symptoms will stabilise the joint; it can also reduce swelling and treat effusion faster thanks to its additional compression effect. Supports are also sometimes used after treatment for a ruptured Achilles tendon.
Back to everyday activities: three steps to an Ottobock orthosis
- Here you’ll find an overview of all the orthoses and supports that could potentially help you. Take the list with you to your next doctor’s appointment.
- Talk to your doctor about which orthosis is best suited to your symptoms and condition. Your doctor can then write you a prescription for the appropriate orthosis.
- Take your prescription to a medical supply company. They’ll give you your new orthosis and adjust it to fit your exact body measurements.
Back to everyday activities: three steps to an Ottobock orthosis
- Here you’ll find an overview of all the orthoses and supports that could potentially help you. Take the list with you to your next doctor’s appointment.
- Talk to your doctor about which orthosis is best suited to your symptoms and condition. Your doctor can then write you a prescription for the appropriate orthosis.
- Take your prescription to a medical supply company. They’ll give you your new orthosis and adjust it to fit your exact body measurements.
Ottobock foot orthoses and supports
The illustrated products represent treatment examples. Many different factors determine whether a product is actually suitable for you and whether you are capable of taking full advantage of the functionality of the product. Key aspects include your physical condition, fitness and a detailed medical examination. Your doctor or O&P professional will also decide which treatment is best suited to you. We’re here to support you.
The GoOn acts as an entry-level option for users with minor limitations of the dorsiflexion musculature, helping them to become familiar with wearing a device and the benefits it offers. The AFO helps hold the user to hold their foot in a neutral position. It makes walking safer and prevents tripping.
The GoOn acts as an entry-level option for users with minor limitations of the dorsiflexion musculature, helping them to become familiar with wearing a device and the benefits it offers. The AFO helps hold the user to hold their foot in a neutral position. It makes walking safer and prevents tripping.
What's more, the GoOn can also be worn without shoes. Thanks to the spring on the arch of the foot, the sole of the shoe remains untouched. This allows the user to wear practically any lace-up shoe, and even wear shoes with different heel heights. The spring filaments mean that the lifting force can be adjusted as required: the foot is gently guided and held in a torsionally stable manner.
Following a stroke, for example, many individuals are often affected by drop foot and the foot assumes what is called a supination position. The toes can no longer be properly lifted in this case, so there is a risk of stumbling. The Malleo Neurexa pro is an orthosis with a foot lifting effect that can also counteract the effects of a developing spasticity thanks to its special alignment.
Following a stroke, for example, many individuals are often affected by drop foot and the foot assumes what is called a supination position. The toes can no longer be properly lifted in this case, so there is a risk of stumbling. The Malleo Neurexa pro is an orthosis with a foot lifting effect that can also counteract the effects of a developing spasticity thanks to its special alignment.
The orthosis can be worn during the day, at night and even without footwear.
The ankle-foot orthosis is made of a modern carbon fibre prepreg material which is very lightweight. A carbon spring at the back extends from the Achilles tendon to the calf. The WalkOn provides support during walking for users with residual musculature. The orthosis releases previously stored energy at toe-off so the gait becomes smoother. The ankle joint is stabilised at the same time.
The ankle-foot orthosis is made of a modern carbon fibre prepreg material which is very lightweight. A carbon spring at the back extends from the Achilles tendon to the calf. The WalkOn provides support during walking for users with residual musculature. The orthosis releases previously stored energy at toe-off so the gait becomes smoother. The ankle joint is stabilised at the same time.
People with permanent drop foot depend on a device that lifts their foot while walking.
People with permanent drop foot depend on a device that lifts their foot while walking.
This is precisely what the WalkOn Flex does. It helps to elevate the foot during the swing phase, making the gait safer again while reducing the risk of stumbling and falling. The tip of the foot no longer gets caught as easily on small obstacles or uneven ground.
Thanks to the material (glass and carbon fibre composite) and special design, the WalkOn Flex is particularly suitable if you are looking for more flexibility in the ankle joint and knee. If you have sufficient residual musculature – your doctor or O&P professional will provide you with detailed advice regarding this – the WalkOn Flex will give you good support, especially on uneven surfaces.
Available in sizes for children and adults.
People with permanent drop foot depend on a device that lifts their foot while walking.
People with permanent drop foot depend on a device that lifts their foot while walking.
This is precisely what the WalkOn Trimable does. It helps to elevate the foot during the swing phase, making the gait safer again while reducing the risk of stumbling and falling. The tip of the foot no longer gets caught as easily on small obstacles or uneven ground.
The ankle-foot orthosis is made of a modern carbon fibre prepreg material which is very lightweight. A carbon spring at the back extends from the Achilles tendon to the calf. For users with residual musculature, the WalkOn Trimable provides support while walking. The orthosis releases previously stored energy at toe-off so the gait becomes smoother. The ankle joint is stabilised at the same time.
People with permanent drop foot depend on a device that lifts their foot while walking.
People with permanent drop foot depend on a device that lifts their foot while walking.
That is precisely what the WalkOn Reaction does. The carbon orthosis helps to lift the foot during the swing phase, making the gait safer while reducing the risk of stumbling and falling. The tip of the foot no longer gets caught as easily on small obstacles or uneven ground.
Thanks to its special design, the WalkOn Reaction supports the knee joint as well. When the foot lowering musculature is impaired as well, you also benefit from the high energy return of the orthosis, which is activated during the rollover motion of the foot. This lets you walk more naturally again.
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