Stance Control Orthosis

Stance control orthoses (SCOs) are a newer type of KAFO that use advanced technology to lock the knee while standing and allow the knee to be in free motion during the swing phase of your normal walking.  Traditional locked knee orthoses require one to significantly and unnaturally modify their walking pattern to compensate for the locked knee.  These compensations may include swinging the leg in a circular motion, hiking the hip to clear their foot, and increasing energy consumption for daily activities.

From high-tech microprocessors and electronic components that read and understand your walking motions to those using an internal pendulum as a control signal; each device has merit and each option suits different physical needs and mobility concerns.  Stance control orthoses are available in a variety of configurations that will allow a safe, energy efficient, and more natural gait pattern for patients who meet the criteria. 

Universal patient indications for stance control are weak or absent quadriceps, knee instability, slight genu varum/valgum, post-polio syndrome, multiple sclerosis, unilateral paralysis, trauma, and incomplete spinal cord injury.

To find out if a stance control orthosis is the correct KAFO for you, call your local Hanger Prosthetics & Orthotics patient care center and request a free comprehensive evaluation today!  If you are a stance control candidate, you will be able to try a clinical trial orthosis to experience how it will allow an increase in your function, improvement in your walking pattern, and provide you a safer and more natural gait.