When early versions of stance control orthoses (SCOs) began appearing in the 1980s and 1990s, they were hailed as an option for people who needed help with lower-limb deficiencies but who found their locked-knee KAFO designs cumbersome and frustrating. The SCO-with its free-swinging joint that allows the knee to bend and flex under the wearer’s control rather than locking it into a fully extended, stiff-leg position-continues to offer an excellent solution for thousands of potential candidates who are identified annually. Evolving technology continues to present us with electronic and microprocessor stance control versions to serve patients in search of a more natural gait, yet SCOs cannot be said to be flourishing today as one might have anticipated a decade ago.
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