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Wednesday, January 13, 2016

By Jerry Stewart


Orthotics is one of the many branches of medicine. It involves itself with designing, application, and production of orthoses. Orthoses are medical gadgets for modifying characteristics of neuromascular and skeletal systems from a structural or functional perspective. They are installed externally on the body. Prescription, management, and production of orthoses are done by specialists in Orthotics called orthotists. When there is need for a good Orthotics clinic Ottawa has to be among the regions one should visit first.

The functions that orthoses are used for are many and they vary depending on various factors. First, they are often used in controlling, immobilizing, and/or guiding extremities, body segments, or joints for specific purposes. They may prevent or assist a body part to move in a certain direction. Additionally, they are often used in helping in weight bearing forces for various reasons.

These devices become handy in helping with the rehabilitation process after the removal of casts. They are also employed in accommodating or correcting deformities and in reducing pain. They help injured people and those suffering from certain deformities to gain some level of independence from other people. The duration of application varies from a few months to a lifetime. Usually the severity of injury or condition determines the duration the devices are applied.

Orthotics as a branch of medicine relies on knowledge from different fields including engineering, pathophysiology, anatomy and physiology, and biomechanics. There are many different medical conditions that may necessitate the installation of these devices. Examples include spinal cord injury, stroke, and spina bifida also known as cerebral palsy. In some cases, performance in sports is optimized by the use of orthoses.

There are many different kinds of orthoses that are commonly prescribed today. Among them are foot orthoses, which are used to correct various leg, postural, or foot problems. Knee and ankle orthoses are used to protect joints, reduce pain, and provide support after surgery. They also improve rehabilitation and serve biomechanical goals. Upper limp orthoses offer the upper limp positional and functional support.

Fiberglass casts and plasters are currently getting replaced by fracture orthoses. Deformities and injuries of the spinal are corrected by the use of spinal orthosis. Orthoses come in two major forms, that is, custom-made or prefabricated. Orthotists design and prescribe custom-made orthoses for patients after assessment has determined that it is necessary. Orthoses are specialized devices and only specialists should be involved in their fitting.

Traditionally, production of orthoses was accomplished by following tracings of the extremities to create well-fitted devices. When plastic started gaining popularity as the preferred material used in the manufacture of orthoses, the aforementioned method changed. Currently, creation of the mold of plaster of Paris of the organ is being relied upon a lot in producing of orthoses.

Production methods have undergone a lot of improvement with the rapid technological advancement. Three dimension printing is being used today in the production process along with CNC, CAM, and CAD machines. Besides plastic, other materials are also used to make the devices. Such materials include EVA, metals, carbon fibre, thermoplastics, and elastic.




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