KAFO Brace 101 - All Basics Included

KAFO brace is a tool for helping with various types of movement instabilities. A wide range of conditions can cause them. As these orthoses play an essential role in helping an individual function naturally, we’ll closely examine them.

We’re going to cover the following:

• What is a KAFO brace?
  
• What is the purpose of a KAFO brace?
  
• The most common types of KAFO braces
  
• KAFO brace materials
  
• Wearing Schedule
  
• KAFO brace maintenance
  

Let’s start with an explanation of what the KAFO leg brace is.

What is a KAFO Brace?

KAFO stands for a knee-ankle-foot orthosis. That means that the brace covers the leg starting from knee to ankle and continues to the foot. It helps with the patients’ movement by assisting them to get more control over their limbs.

The primary role of the device is to stabilize the joints while supporting muscles. It commonly helps with the recovery after a leg or spinal injury. However, it also assists post-polio patients or other severe conditions such as knee osteoarthritis and multiple sclerosis.
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It does this by limiting some parts of the leg movement while helping others.

What is the Purpose of a KAFO Brace?

The KAFO brace is a useful tool that helps in the following ways.

• Controls joint instability
• Limits joint movement
• Helps with joint alignment
• Lowers joint pain

With the help of its mechanisms, the KAFO brace reduces joint pressure. That way, it helps with joint instability, making it easier for the wearer to move. That’s the reason why it limits joint movement.
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Much like the AFOs, KAFO braces aim to help with joint alignment. If you’re going to use a KAFO brace, you’ll love the fact that it also reduces joint pain.

What Are the Most Common Types of KAFO Brace?

Like with other types of orthoses, KAFO braces come in different shapes and sizes. 
Here they are:

• Thermoplastic KAFO
• Conventional KAFO
• Stance Control KAFO

Thermoplastic KAFO is the modern version of the conventional KAFO braces. Their primary advantage is how light they are, making it more comfortable to wear them. Furthermore, they look much better than the conventional KAFO braces. Many patients today opt for this type of KAFO brace.

The conventional KAFO brace works much like the thermoplastic one. However, it features an older design. However, some patients still use them. It all depends on the feel, and it varies from one patient to another.

When it comes to Stance Control KAFO brace, it is quite different from the previously mentioned ones. It is more rigid, as it locks and unlocks on the knee level.
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What’s common for all the braces is that they are all customizable. The patient’s condition dictates which type of brace he’s going to wear.

KAFO Brace Materials

Different KAFO braces rely on different materials. But across all types of KAFO braces, three materials are used.

• Plastic
• Metal
• Leather

Thermoplastic KAFO uses plastic. The material is popular because it is easy to mold and is lightweight. But it also has metal elements that go next to the knees.

The conventional KAFO and Stance Control KAFO heavily rely on metal. Not only does this make the braces heavier, but it also makes them uncomfortable.
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You will find leather on a conventional KAFO brace. It ties around the patient’s leg.
Using these materials is necessary. They’re sturdy and durable enough to help hold a person’s weight.

How Long Should You Wear It?

If you’re going to use a KAFO brace, the process is not that simple. You’ll need to give your body time to adapt. The process usually takes around 10 days to complete. During that time, it’s crucial to follow how your body is reacting to your orthosis.

Once you put on a KAFO for the first time, you should wear it for around one hour. Don’t be surprised, because the whole experience is not going to be pleasant. The important part is to check your skin once you take it off. In case there is any redness, wait for it to go away. That should happen within 20 to 30 minutes.

If it stays longer, stop using the KAFOs. You should reach out to your orthotist to make an appointment.

In case everything’s normal, wear the KAFO brace for 2 hours the next day. As each day passes, increase the wear time by 1 hour. Don’t be afraid if you feel muscle soreness. It’s completely normal, as your walking patterns are going to change.
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Once you get accustomed to wearing the brace, wear it throughout the whole day. The longer you do, the greater the results are going to be.

KAFO Brace Maintenance

Keeping your brace clean and ready for use is simple. All you need is a damp cloth. Use it to go over all the brace parts. If you want to clean the brace in greater detail, you can use alcohol for plastic parts.
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Never put your brace in water, as it can damage the metal parts over time.

Other Relevant KAFO Tips

There are a couple of things we would like you to keep in mind.

Always wear tights or socks with your brace. That clothing layer will do wonders for your skin. It protects it, especially when it comes to sweating.

When it comes to shoes, it is a good idea to wear regular ones.

Also, remember to put on your KAFO safely. Do it while you are either sitting or in a lying position. Place your heel on the bottom and the back of your KAFO. You can then check whether your knee aligns well with the brace. After that, fasten the straps.

Contact Align Clinic for Custom Adult Braces

If you are looking for more information about custom adult braces, you should contact us and schedule an appointment with one of our Align Clinic experts. 

Visit us at one of our locations. We are eagerly waiting to help you get the perfect brace.