November 16, 2015 "First pair of AFO's"

Since Rayden does not have any feeling in his feet or ankles he will need support to be able to walk or bear weight on his feet. An AFO is a device that supports the ankle and foot area of the body and extends from below the knee down to and including the foot. This device is used to control instabilities in the lower limb by maintaining proper alignment and controlling motion. A plastic AFO is a custom fabricated, molded plastic device that encloses the back of the calf and bottom of the foot. It can be fabricated with or without ankle motion and can cost around $1,000 a pair. They normally last about 6 months. It can be worn inside a shoe, but in Rayden's case we are just wearing them AS SHOES. We chose a Superman themed AFO with red insoles and blue straps. 

Rayden still wears his Wheaton Braces at night to hopefully prevent clubbed foot from returning. He will wear his AFO's during the day to practice bearing weight, the beginning stages of walking!!!! The AFO substitutes for weak dorsiflexors during swing and, more importantly, for weak plantar flexors during stance. At first Rayden did not seem to like the AFO's. I believe it's because he was not used to wearing anything on his feet during the day. It didn't take long for him to get accustomed to them.