Knowledge Bank

Ankle-foot orthotics (AFOs) are the most commonly prescribed orthotic and aid patients of all ages. There are two types of AFOs: pre-fabricated and custom. Pre-fabricated AFOs are low-cost (60 dollars), but have little success in patient treatment. Custom AFOs are expensive (750 dollars-1000 dollars), but required in 82% of cases due to the complexity of fit, support, and force application requirements. AFOs require replacement every 6-24 months due to the development of poor fit from general use and/or patient growth. Due to the high frequency of replacement, there have been many studies on custom AFO creation using additive manufacturing (AM) (i.e. 3D printing) to lower the cost and time of custom AFO production. However, the cost remains high due to the required 3-D printing build chamber size, AM materials with the required material properties, and scanning software used to determine the AFO contours. The purpose of this study was to design a low cost, modular AFO that can be easily customized in size, support, and force application using a set of mass-produced components. Previously collected data was used to create a novel process for the development of interchangeable AFO components. SolidWorks and ANSYS force analysis software were used to design a modular AFO that consisted of 14 modular components. The components were further divided by size and support needs to generate a set of 62 modular components that could be used to build AFOs for pediatric patients of ages 3-11 years. The results of this study can be used in the future for the design of highly customizable, inexpensive, modular assistive devices. The modular AFO design may greatly improve the quality of life and reduce the financial burden on patients requiring custom AFOs.