Clinical Education: CAH Information CD

David Hoy, CPO has put together a very well thought out multimedia CD on the clinical rationale behind his Camber Axis Hinge and its application to AFOs, in addition to technical information on fabrication. The menus and navigation within the CD are very well thought out and quite intuitive.

The main points in each section are illustrated with professionally drawn images that clearly depict the essence of the discussion, which is both narrated and on-screen. The NAV button in the lower right corner lets you step through familiar material quickly, or back up to listen to a key point one more time.


The menus and navigation work very well and permit quick jumps to different sections of the CD.
The menus and navigation work very well and permit quick jumps to different sections of the CD.

The technical information includes a very nice fabrication sequence, details on adjusting the range of motion, and similar practical points. More importantly, the CD explains the biomechanical rationale for selected AFOs, including a very concise explanation of the reason that the functional ankle axis is considered to be centered at the distal apex of the malleoli. Most concepts presented are backed up with literature citations, including hyperlinks for those who want to read the original source material.


The illustrations are professionally done and nicely animated.
The illustrations are professionally done and nicely animated.

There are also clips from a gait lab study on the effect on plantarflexion angle on the gait of a child with cerebral palsy wearing bilateral AFOs, clearly showing the effect on no orthosis, insufficient plantarflexion, and excessive plantarflexion. This provides a good illustration of why the orthotist selects a particular plantarflexion attitude to optimize the gait characteristics for each individual patient. You can download three samples of the video clips here: Shoes Only (0.4MB mpg), Free Ankle Motion Progressive AFO (0.4MB mpg), and Plantar-Locked Progressive AFO (0.5MB mpg).


The section on the biomechanical rationale for specific AFO designs is clearly presented and well documented.
The section on the biomechanical rationale for specific AFO designs is clearly presented and well documented.


The video case illustrations depict pathologic gait with and without proper orthotic management.
The video case illustrations depict pathologic gait with and without proper orthotic management.

Finally, there is an optional exam to earn Professional Continuing Education credits from ABC, and to verify comprehension of the material covered. There are very few continuing education CDs devoted to orthotic topics, and fewer yet that do such a good job of using the medium interactively. Free copies can be obtained by contacting Becker Orthopedic at CAH Educational CD.



Return to March 2006 Corner

Next Article