Researchers at Ankara University, Turkey, have found that applying corrective forces to five points along the full length of the leg with full-time KAFO use can effectively treat infantile tibia vara in children up to 38 months of age.
For this study, three different types of KAFOs were applied to 35 lower limbs of 22 pediatric participants who were 19-38 months old. The same orthotic design principles were used to correct the femur, while different designs were applied to correct the tibia. The orthoses used on 20 participants were evaluated for differences among them and their effects on the treatment process.
The mean duration of treatment was 25.3 weeks, with a minimum of nine weeks and a maximum of 41 weeks. No statistically significant correlation was found between the duration of orthotic use in patients with a successful outcome and percentile height and percentile weight. When the duration of treatment using the different types of orthoses was analyzed, significant differences were found between type 1 and type 2, and type 1 and type 3 orthoses, while no difference was observed between type 2 and type 3 orthoses.
The methods used in the treatment, problems encountered, production of different types of orthoses, convenience of application of the orthoses, and degree of patient satisfaction are published in the October issue of the journal Prosthetics and Orthotics International.
