Ankle Foot Orthotics (or AFO) are typically used to support your ankle and foot. An ankle foot orthotic typically helps by immobilizing the ankle or reducing its movement in a particular way.
If you are looking for an Ankle Foot Orthotic, you may be overwhelmed by the variety of different options available. Most of the information may be difficult to understand. This list is meant to bring details from various sources together, so you can better understand the options available.
It may be worth understanding the different motions of the foot as well, to better understand what support each type of AFO can provide.
There are 4 main categories of AFO’s:
- Flexible AFOs: Help with dorsiflexion (or pulling the top of your foot up and back), but won’t support your ankle’s inversion or eversion (the ‘rolling’ motion of the ankle) as much.
- Anti-Talus AFOs: These prevent your ankle from dorsiflexion (pulling the top of your foot up and back), but still lack support for inversion or eversion (the ‘rolling’ motion of the ankle).
- Rigid AFOs: These prevent the ankle from moving in multiple directions, specifically dorsiflexion and ‘rolling’. Some even provide stability for abduction and adduction or ‘turning’ of the foot.
- Tamarak Flexure Joint: These keep the ankle from ‘rolling’ (inversion and eversion) but still let you flex your foot upwards (dorsiflexion) and downwards (plantar flexion) to a certain degree.
Knowing these categories can help in providing you with the right support for your needs.