The Knee Nook

Although the effects of a stroke vary, survivors often have limited use of one side of their body. Stroke survivors may wear an ankle-foot orthosis (AFO) to prevent their weak foot from dragging and hindering ambulation. Because of the added bulk of an AFO, donning a shoe becomes difficult. The design team, composed of freshman engineering students in the Engineering Design and Communication course at Northwestern University, interviewed stroke survivors to understand the problem and then constructed several prototypes as possible solutions. After stroke survivors tested and critiqued each prototype, the Knee Nook emerged as the most promising. Stroke survivors often place their weak foot on top of their strong knee, similar to the position of crossing one's legs, to allow them to easily reach their foot. Keeping the weak leg in place on the strong thigh while donning the AFO is often difficult. The Knee Nook is a hands-free device that holds the user's leg in this position. The device is placed on top of the user's strong knee and employs a neoprene pad to easily hold the weak leg over the strong knee. This design allows stroke survivors to independently don an AFO and shoe.