Ankle-foot orthoses for improving walking in adults with calf muscle weakness due to neuromuscular disorders.

Background: Calf muscle weakness is a common symptom in slowly progressive neuromuscular disorders that lead to walking problems like instability and increased walking effort. The mainstay of treatment to improve walking in this population is the provision of ankle-foot-orthoses (AFOs). Since we are not aware of an up-to-date and complete overview of the effects of AFOs used for calf muscle weakness in slowly progressive neuromuscular disorders, we reviewed the evidence for the effectiveness of AFOs to improve walking in this patient group, in order to support clinical decision-making.

Validity of Cardiopulmonary Exercise Testing for Assessing Aerobic Capacity in Neuromuscular Diseases.

Objectives: To determine the content validity of cardiopulmonary exercise testing (CPET) for assessing peak oxygen uptake (VO) in neuromuscular diseases (NMD).

Design: Baseline assessment of a randomized controlled trial.

Setting: Academic hospital.

Physical strain of walking in people with neuromuscular diseases is high and relates to step activity in daily life.

Objective: To determine the physical strain of walking and assess its relationship with daily steps and intensity of daily activity in people with neuromuscular diseases.

Design: Cross-sectional study.

Subjects/patients: Sixty-one adults with neuromuscular diseases.

Preliminary effectiveness and production time and costs of three-dimensional printed orthoses in chronic hand conditions: an interventional feasibility study.

Objective: To assess the preliminary effectiveness of three-dimensional printed orthoses compared with conventionally custom-fabricated orthoses in persons with chronic hand conditions on performance of daily activities, hand function, quality of life, satisfaction, and production time and costs.

Design: Interventional feasibility study.

Subjects: Chronic hand orthotic users (n = 21).

Effect of stiffness-optimized ankle foot orthoses on joint work in adults with neuromuscular diseases is related to severity of push-off deficits.

Background: People with plantar flexor weakness generate less ankle push-off work during walking, resulting in inefficient proximal joint compensations. To increase push-off work, spring-like ankle foot orthoses (AFOs) can be provided. However, whether and in which patients AFOs increase push-off work and reduce compensatory hip and knee work is unknown.