Design of an adjustable stance-control knee-ankle-foot orthosis for pediatric population

Conventional knee-ankle-foot orthoses (KAFOs) are generally prescribed for children with lower limb muscle weakness and joint instabilities. The main function of KAFOs is to provide stability during gait by locking the knee in full extension. However, walking with the knee joint in a fully extended position requires excessive energy consumption, leading to early fatigue and inducing non-physiological gait patterns. A new generation of KAFOs was developed to allow free knee flexion during the swing phase and to lock the knee joint during the stance phase to provide the required stability. These are commonly labeled as stance-control knee-ankle-foot orthoses (SCKAFOs). Nevertheless, commercial SCKAFOs are not available for the pediatric population. Especially in early ages, children must frequently replace the orthosis due to their growth. Hence, the proposed design presents a solution for a SCKAFO with adjustable length adaptable to children's dimensions ranging from two to six years old.