Diseño de una Órtesis Tobillo-pie con Bloqueo Anti Equino para el Reposo y Sistema de Compensación de Cargas para la Marcha

This paper shows the design of a dynamic ankle-foot orthosis that will help to stop and counteract the evolutionary clubfoot deformity, as well as contribute to improve the gait of an adult person suffering from spastic quadriparesis, that is, a deformity that does not allow the person to have full control over the movements of the ankle. Currently, in the Ecuadorian market there are fixed orthoses AFO (Ankle foot orthosis) and DAFO (Dinamyc anide foot orthosis), which present disadvantages in the recovery of ankle mobility, since they become stiff due to continuous use. Internationally, these problems have been solved with the use of active orthoses that allow the ankle a controlled movement in the gait cycle, but have the disadvantage of requiring great metabolic wear due to the weight of the devices. The proposed design is based on a passive AFO orthosis with an added value in the implementation of a load compensation system in the joint, thus providing it with qualities of an active one so that this device allows a stable gait; this mechanism will also function as an "anti-equinus" at rest, limiting the plantar flexion angle, besides being designed for use with normal footwear.