UTX Orthosis

I was pleasantly surprised to learn that the very clever UTX orthosis, from the engineers at Ambrose Holland, has been extensively redesigned to make it more broadly suitable for typical KAFO patients. Ossur is distributing this orthosis in Scandinavia. The original UTX Swing, which automatically unlocks the knee joint for swing phase flexion, is still available and reportedly has now been fitted to over 1000 patients in Europe.

The application is no longer restricted to patients with normal coronal plane alignment, as there is now a version with a lightweight cable reinforcement medially that is suitable for providing moderate valgus control too. This significantly increases to application for this orthosis, since it can now accommodate genu valgum that is passively correctible to 10 degrees or less.

When the automatic unlocking feature is not desired, there is now a variant with a very sleek release button located at the proximal edge of the lateral sidebar. This spring-loaded knee lock is directly analogous to the "tubular orthosis" of half a century ago that was so well received by polio survivors. I remember when I first entered the field that many patients would bring in dilapidated tubular KAFOs that were decades old and literally cry when they learned that the repair parts had been out of production for years and were no longer available to repair their brace.

In fact, in may ways the UTX KAFO is a direct descendent of the tubular KAFO since both use a hollow sidebar to route a lightweight control cable. The chief difference is that the UTX is much more cosmetic since the bar cross-section is oval rather than round. One of the major benefits of a hollow sidebar is that it offers tremendous strength compared to the same weight in a solid configuration. The UTX sidebars are no more bulky than other adult-strength bars, and are recommended for selected patients up to 120 kg or 210 pounds.

One limitation of hollow sidebars is that they can only be re-contoured a small amount without kinking. Since the release cable requires that the sidebar be cut to length and finished, the UTX is only available on a central fabrication basis. It is also only available as a lateral sidebar system [with or without the medial reinforcing cable] with the prefabricated swivel cuffs that are part of the original UTX design concept.

Reader Comments: Read all user comments Help me please! I´m 18 years old girl from Finland I paralysed 3 years ago in a snowboarding accident. My injury is in the area of TH 11-12. I would want to know if UTX Swing orthosis is good for me. I can move (swing) my feet from the hip and another (lef... read more - Ulla Kulju   12/26/2004 Re: Help me please! Thank you for this inquiry, Ms. Kulju. It is possible that you would be a candidate for the UTX or for one of the other Stance Control Orthoses, but the only way to answer this question would be to arrange a personal examination by an orth... read more - John Michael   12/27/2004 I want to find a Journal about UTX orthoses I want to find a Journal about UTX orthoses. Where can I find a paper? - Kang sungjae   1/15/2003 Re: I want to find a Journal about UTX orthoses help - hashem   2/12/2006 Re: I want to find a Journal about UTX orthoses To the best of my knowledge, any refereed articles on the UTX will be in Dutch. I don't have access to that literature. You may be able to contact Ambroise Holland for more information. --John Michael CPO - John Michael CPO   1/19/2003 Microprocessor leg Hi, I am trying to do a project on microprocessor legs. Can you please let me know which knees are the best out in the market? I will like to compare them and try to understand how they work. - Yesenia   12/9/2002 Re: Microprocessor leg There's no short answer to such a question. As of December 2002, there are basically three MP controlled prosthetic knees commercially available in North America. The Blatchford IP+ is a pneumatic swing phase control knee; the Blatchford ... read more - John Michael   12/9/2002 false leg 1967 Dear John Michael, Can you help me , I am the costume designer for the play 'Buried Child' by Sam Shephard.[ Belvoir St Theatre in Sydney , Australia][set in 1967] One of the key characters is an amputee, he has false leg from above ... read more - Julie Lynch   7/13/2002 Re: false leg 1967 The external appearance of prostheses did not change much until the 1960s. Prior to that time, almost all artificial limbs were made primarily from wood. Due to the hard out structure, this type is termed "exoskeletal" construction. Most... read more - John Michael   7/14/2002 UTX orthosis I have read a few articles about the UTX technology. I am a polio victim and wear a full leg brace. Where would I find out more and perhaps be able to purchase such a brace? - Ron Rensink   1/24/2002 Re: UTX orthosis help me - hashem   2/12/2006 Re: UTX orthosis UTX is available from Becker in the USA as of September 2002, and a variation called the FreeWalk is available from Otto Bock as of March 2002. --John Michael CPO - John Michael   12/9/2002 microprocessor leg hi john, is there a picture existing of this microprocessor leg ? i could not find picture material concerning this product. thank you robert - Robert KAITAN   10/18/2001 Re: microprocessor leg Happy Holidays Robert! I apologize for the delayed reply, but I have just now realized that people might post queries many months after these Corners are archived. Unless I happen to stumble onto an old Corner, I have no way to tell when... read more - John Michael CPO   12/18/2001 Thanks I m working in Honduras with Handicap International, it s really nice that some book are translated in spanish, we dowload the all the part we could and we used it as reference for a manual of procedure that we are doing. Thanks for all t... read more - Isabelle Couture cpo   5/1/2001 Re: Thanks Delighted to know that you have found this resource helpful. --John Michael CPO - John Michael   12/9/2002