Hello All,
I have a patient who needs ankle stabilization. His foot, ankle, and calf
swell greatly throughout the day. He wears compression hose for this, but
still experiences a wide range of fluctuation throughout the day. He cannot
tolerate pressure on the upper third of his leg, so metal AFO’s attached to
shoe will not work, as the calf band puts too much pressure on his leg. He
cannot use an Arizona AFO-style orthosis due to both the swelling and the
constriction of the forefoot at the end of the brace where the lacer ends
(begins). Solid ankle thermoplastic designs also won’t work given their
inability to allow for swelling. His best result, to date, has been via a
fracture boot with metal uprights. The metal uprights have been important,
as they help to support his 350+ lbs., and give him the ankle stabilization
that he needs. So. I am going back to the fracture walker idea as a long
term solution for this guy. I would, however, like to make this just a
little bit easier for him.
I seek a fracture walker boot that has the following features:
-ultra lightweight
-thin sole to reduce the height of the build-up on the sound side shoe
-metal uprights, to help control and stabilize the ankle
-air bladder, so that pressure is shared equally throughout the brace
-Size XL
If you are aware of such a device, please let me know.
Thanks,
Warren R Mays, CPO
