Brace Orthopaedic are proud to be sponsoring the “Orthotic Management of Contractures” course taking place at the Robert Jones and Agnes Hunt Orthopaedic Hospital in Oswestry today. The course run by the ORLAU (Orthotic Research & Locomotor Assessment Unit) is organised in conjunction with the Orthopaedic Institute.
Brace Orthopaedic distribute the leading range of active dynamic orthoses (utilising spring-loaded hinges) for contractures management in the upper and lower limb, called CDS (Controlled Dynamic Stretch), manufactured in Germany by Albrecht GmbH. The CDS range of orthoses are being used in a variety of pathologies including orthopaedic or neurological lesions, burns & plastics, etc. and cover all sizes of users from large adults to small children. The range includes orthoses for the wrist and hand, elbow, knee and ankle joints, with a recent addition of the only active dynamic orthosis to manage knee flexion contractures of below-knee amputees.
CDS orthoses allow clinicians to quantify the exact amount of force applied on the contracted tissues and define the exact range of movement allowed (with increments as little as one degree and even allowing hyperextension, if required). Features like the easy shaping of the aluminium shells around the limb without the need for a heat gun and the positional adjustment of each shell proximally-distally ensure an optimal fit for users of very different shapes and sizes. User compliance is maximised not only through the careful adjustment of the forces utilised, but also by features such as the large, anatomically shaped shells to minimise applied pressures, the air permeability of the shells, the simple on-off switches for the spring tension and the ski boot-type clips for easy donning-doffing. Significantly, unlike static methods of contractures management, the functional use of the limb treated is being maintained and even enhanced by the use of the forces which can supplement the function of weakened muscles, in order to assist the user to participate in activities of daily living (ADLs).
The Orthopaedic Institute is a charity, in existence since the 1970s and was formed to provide funds for Education and Research in the various Departments of the Robert Jones & Agnes Hunt Orthopaedic Hospital. If you are interested in reading about the research and education projects they have supported then please visit www.orthopaedic-institute.org.
If you would like to hear more about Brace Orthopaedic’s range of CDS active dynamic orthoses or indeed arrange a product demonstration, then please call Customer Services on 0191 258 8944 where Cathryn or Iain would be delighted to help. Alternatively, please visit our website at www.braceorthopaedic.co.uk
