The effects of two different AFOs on the gait of acute hemiplegic subjects: Preliminary results.

An AFO is commonly prescribed during the early rehabilitation period to assist the restoration of walking in individuals who have suffered a cerebral vascular accident (CVA). While several authors have demonstrated the effectiveness of AFOs in improving the gait of individuals with chronic hemiplegia secondary to CVA 1 , few studies have examined the impact of an AFO during the acute phase. In addition, Rao et al. report an improvement in the gait of acute CVA patients 2 , while Tyson and Rogerson found no improvement 3 . Additionally, authors frequently ignore the clinical importance of providing CVA patients with an AFO that is customized for that patients functional needs, instead opting to test all subjects with the exact same design of AFO regardless of the clinical appropriateness of the design for each individual subject. 3