Analytical, Diagnostic and Therapeutic Techniques and Equipment Commons^™

A Dynamic Ankle Orthosis For Alleviating Mechanical Foot And Ankle Pain, Preserving Joint Motion, And Restoring Patient Function, Chloe Ly Chung

Theses and Dissertations (ETD)

Over two million Americans visit the doctor each year for foot and ankle pain stemming from a degenerative condition or injury. Standard of care ankle-foot orthoses have been shown to effectively manage pain symptoms of the lower limb, but they can also significantly hinder joint motion and limit function. The Dynamic Ankle Orthosis (DAO) was created with the intent to alleviate pain using an offloading mechanism without interfering with natural joint motion. This dissertation presents the development, benchtop validation, functional assessment, and clinical evaluation of this novel treatment option for patients suffering from acute and chronic foot and ankle pain.A …