bruce
New Member
Posts: 17
Interests: KAFO, AFO
Leg braced ladies.
Ladies in W/C with leg braces
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Post by bruce on Feb 28, 2021 22:17:18 GMT
That sounds really great to me. That would be my ideal bracing situation also. The buildup on your AFO leg would help you with ground clearance on your KAFO leg! I would really like to see that. By the way, have you seen these on You Tube;? Red brace video and/or Blue brace videos(s). I really enjoy seeing them. Bruce
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Post by castmenow on Feb 28, 2021 23:39:24 GMT
Is it actually possible to wear 2 KAFOs if one has an ischial ring, would the ring get in the way or would the other KAFO need to have a lower height thigh cuff. I would expect having ischial rings on both KAFOs would be difficult.
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rk52
Junior Member
Posts: 79
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Post by rk52 on Mar 1, 2021 10:48:53 GMT
A pair with ischial rings would be potentially damaging to parts of the male anatomy for sure, but I have seen KAFOs where the ring is actually more like a horseshoe, with just a strap closing the circle at the front of the thigh. I think a pair like that could work.
A KAFO/AFO combination appeals to me too, but in reverse to Rowland I would prefer the KAFO to be on my left leg!
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Post by rowland on Mar 1, 2021 17:51:26 GMT
re ischial ring with strap at the front. This is what I have got. It is the arrangement that failed on the day I got it. It was swiftly repaired but I adapted it to make the ring continuous. The outer end of the half-ring pressed on the top of my thigh-bone just below the joint. I made it comfortable by wrapping chiropodist's felt round it, wrapped with white insulation tape. A year later it is still serviceable though tatty. Before doing the wrapping I cut the leather strap short a couple of holes up from the buckle because it was too long. I would much prefer a complete metal ring suitably padded. I have found that my thigh needs to rotate a bit inside the ring particularly when I settle myself to stand still. I would also find it useful to be able to get hold of the ring at the front to give it a lift when manoeuvring over thresholds, steps and very rough terrain, e.g. rocks or ruts. In my own mind I classify my use of the brace in three "modes": walking, which I do well on level ground; standing, which I do much more easily since the ring was added: manouevring, which I think will always be problematic in restricted spaces or on very uneven surfaces. Thanks for making me set this out in some detail,- just what I need and why I appreciate this forum.
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Post by deejay on Mar 2, 2021 0:01:36 GMT
Certainly the idea of total weight-bearing of a kafos with ischial rings appeals to me although I am sure that two would be difficult to cope with. As discussed before, the idea of two patten ended braces would be the dream but in reality the knee joints would need to be un-lockable so that all combinations of sitting and moving around could be experienced. I suppose the best idea as a 'recreational' user would be that the ischial rings were removable so all options were possible.
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bruce
New Member
Posts: 17
Interests: KAFO, AFO
Leg braced ladies.
Ladies in W/C with leg braces
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Post by bruce on Mar 2, 2021 20:42:38 GMT
I agree with you here. An I-ring looks very restrictive and would make day to day ordinary action very difficult. And it would probably hurt after a while. I would like just plain KAFO's with unlockable knees so you could sit down and watch TV without things sticking you in places you don't want constant pressure. I would enjoy seeing the metal sides of the braces coming out of my pants leg and going into my shoes near the heels. Bruce
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bruce
New Member
Posts: 17
Interests: KAFO, AFO
Leg braced ladies.
Ladies in W/C with leg braces
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Post by bruce on Mar 3, 2021 22:32:42 GMT
Has anyone walked up stairs pretending to be handicapped in one leg. I have done this by walking up one stair at a time. But when I actually wore my KAFO and did this same thing, it was so much more of an experience. You have to look at your braced leg and make sure that you clear the lip of the step you are going onto. It also helps to make sure that your toe is pointing a little up so it does not get caught on the lip of the step. It is now easy for me to understand why some KAFOs restrict the movement of the shoe from pointing down. It is another reason that a small buildup on the opposing leg would make stairs easier. Bruce
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Post by rowland on Mar 4, 2021 14:49:03 GMT
Bruce's observations re foot clearance on stairs (also applies at thresholds and other smallish obstacles) are instantly recognizable and will give many of us the shared experience that this forum can provide. Other people have expressed relief and satisfaction at discovering the forum and finding there are others around who know how they think and feel. Thanks Bruce.
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Post by dickie1brace on Mar 5, 2021 17:11:51 GMT
In answer to Bruce's latest post, I walk up and down stairs at least twice each time I wear my brace - which is about 2 - 3 times per week at the moment. My technique is to lead with the braced leg when going down and lead with my good leg when going up. I tend to take two steps at a time as long as I have one hand free to hold on to the bannister rail. If I am carrying something then I do one at a time but, somehow, that is not so easy for me. I wear an insole in my left shoe which builds my left leg up by about 30mm which seems to work well for me for ground clearance on the KAFO on my right leg. I have modified my KAFO so that my foot is supported along its length from underneath which stops my foot pointing down at all which prevents me catching my toes when going moving about, particularly upstairs.
I have got into the habit of wearing my KAFO quite tight so my knee is immobilised and that then allows me to relax my ankle joint which lets the KAFO provide full support and means I only use my upper right leg muscles to walk with.
I must admit that I would like to try an I-ring so my right leg just 'dangled' inside its brace and there was no weight taken by it. The problem for me would be the need for a major build up under my left shoe which would be very conspicuous. I still remember the rare sight of people with Thomas braces which required a lot of ironwork under the good leg to keep their braced foot clear of the ground.
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bruce
New Member
Posts: 17
Interests: KAFO, AFO
Leg braced ladies.
Ladies in W/C with leg braces
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Post by bruce on Mar 5, 2021 23:05:18 GMT
Re: Insole wearing. Doesn't that make your left leg longer and interfere more with your stair walking ? Re: Stairs 2 at a time: When I wear my right KAFO it is very hard for me to do one star at a time. Isn't that the point of being braced ? Bruce
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Post by dickie1brace on Mar 6, 2021 17:23:05 GMT
I didn't say it was easy! It's just that I prefer to go up (and down) 2 stairs at a time as it seems to work better for me. It is also a better work out for my left leg.
I wear a KAFO on my right leg so the insole makes my left leg longer which allows me to swing my right leg through when walking. It doesn't seem to make things more difficult negotiating stairs - at least, not the way I do it!
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bruce
New Member
Posts: 17
Interests: KAFO, AFO
Leg braced ladies.
Ladies in W/C with leg braces
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Post by bruce on Mar 7, 2021 0:36:52 GMT
Oh yes. I understand now. I was thinking totally wrong. The insole makes your left leg longer which helps with clearance on your other (braced) side. I wear my brace on my right leg also and its very immobile too. When I walk I can actually feel the brace help swing my leg forward. It is a very good feeling that I have from this. It is like the brace is doing its job. It gives me understanding into how someone who cannot stand and put weight on his leg due to it being paralized can benefit from wearing a brace on it.
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Post by rowland on Mar 8, 2021 16:49:06 GMT
Bruce says, "It is like the brace is doing its job." I like this comment because he seems to welcome what the brace does. Imagination plays a part in getting the most out of using a brace. The brace helps the person who wears it, whether for medical or psychological reasons.
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Post by dickie1brace on Mar 9, 2021 15:18:18 GMT
I agree 100% with this view. I get immense satisfaction from my brace taking my weight and rendering my right leg redundant when I'm wearing it.
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Post by calipermn on Apr 21, 2021 10:08:35 GMT
Absolutely the one I would like is the patten-ended brace with ischial ring and other shoe built up with metal plate. I too saw one when at primary school and have never forgotten it. I am fairly sure I have seen it with a moulded"ischial seat" as well. Perhaps I imagined it but I think there was one with formed leather or plastic top which was more comfortable to 'sit' on. Sounds good to me. Perhaps two!! No sensation apart from sitting on top of the brace. This seems to be one of the few pictures.
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