Prefabricated ankle-foot orthoses for children with cerebral palsy to overcome spastic drop-foot: does orthotic ankle stiffness matter?

Our results suggested that in the KE group, the flexible orthosis was best suited for patients with drop-foot without a knee extension deficit. The stiff orthosis was not suitable in this group as it caused a hyperextended knee without improving dorsiflexion in swing phase. Therefore, stiffness should be considered when prefabricated orthoses are prescribed.