Introduction:

The Drop foot is a condition that is usually handled with short orthosis, usually made of polypropylene. It has also been described as being treated with silicon orthosis, little studied but which seem to improve the kinematic pattern of gait and, given its comfort, be more accepted by patients. Our study describes the kinematic characteristics of gait and patient satisfaction when using a silicon foot ankle orthosis, and compares this pattern to the non-use of the orthosis, in patients with a drop foot.

Material and methods:

Pseudo-experimental descriptive study in patients with dropped feet from 2010 to 2012, in which the kinematic variables of the gait pattern were evaluated from gait laboratories and in addition to the satisfaction of subjects with silicon orthosis and non-use of them.

Results:

Five patients with a drop foot were the subject of the study. Gait analysis of patients using the orthosis found an improvement in ankle position at initial contact, average walking speed and step length, as well as increased cadence. However, in terms of comfort compared to the non-use of the orthosis, the result was meager.

Conclusions:

Silicon foot ankle orthosis improve the position of the ankle in the initial contact, as well as the temporo-spatial parameters of the gait.