Table 1

Clinical algorithm for prescribing foot and ankle orthoses for children with CMT

Impairments and activity limitations

Orthoses

Pes cavus and foot pain

Foot orthoses

Pes cavus and poor balance

UCBL* orthoses

Pes cavus and poorer balance (not corrected by UCBL* orthoses)

Supramalleolar orthoses

Pes cavus and poorer balance (not corrected by supramalleolar AFOs†)

Hinged AFOs†

Foot drop and poor walking

Posterior leaf spring AFOs†

Foot drop, poor walking, pes cavus, and poor balance

Hinged AFOs† with PF‡ stops

Global weakness of foot/ankle muscles and poor walking and/or balance (with/without pes cavus and/or foot drop)

Hemispiral AFOs†

Global weakness of foot/ankle muscles and poorer walking and/or balance (not corrected by hemispiral AFOs†, with/without pes cavus and/or foot drop)

Solid AFOs†

Pes cavus and/or ankle equinus (≥ 0°, not corrected by hinged AFOs† with/without PF‡ stops)

Solid AFOs†

* University of California Biomechanics Laboratory; † ankle-foot orthoses; ‡ plantarflexion

Scheffers et al. Journal of Foot and Ankle Research 2012 5(Suppl 1):P23   doi:10.1186/1757-1146-5-S1-P23