Welcome to The Clinical Minute! In this episode, Senior Clinical Education Specialist Liz Hillen, M.Ed., CPO, LPO, introduces the Sport Elite Combo REHABILITATOR® by OCSI Guardian Brace.
This unique clinical solution combines two orthoses from OCSI’s REHABILITATOR® line to improve gait mechanics and strength for patients who present with lower limb weakness. Let’s dive into what makes this an excellent combo device.
The REHABILITATOR® Line
REHABILITATOR® Knee Braces are clinically proven to reduce unbraced pain, strengthen the affected leg, and improve function. The Elite AFO REHABILITATOR® and Sport REHABILITATOR® provide effective hemiplegic gait orthotic therapy when used together.
- Elite AFO REHABILITATOR®: The Elite AFO REHABILITATOR® provides dynamic dorsiflexion and lower leg extension assistance while facilitating muscle activation in the affected leg to support muscle re-learning.
- Sport REHABILITATOR®: The Sport REHABILITATOR® can strengthen a weakened leg before total knee replacement surgery to accelerate recovery and improve patient outcomes.
Combo Therapy
When combined, the Elite AFO REHABILITATOR® and Sport REHABILITATOR® facilitate accelerated gait rehabilitation by incrementally improving gait biomechanics as the patient walks in the brace. With routine use, this solution corrects learned hemiplegic gait muscle memory to significantly improve gait, even when the patient is unbraced.
Key Features & Benefits:
- Three bands of compression at the thigh, knee joint, and calf provide significant proprioceptive stimulation to facilitate neurological input allowing many patients to more effectively volitionally control leg movement with device use.
- The Elite Rehabilitator enables heel-to-toe gait, dorsiflexion of the ankle/foot and leg extension in swing phase. Most importantly, the uniquely flexible footplate of the Elite Rehabilitator encourages volitional muscle firing to strengthen and rehabilitate the lower leg.
- An extension SWING ASSIST facilitates heel strike with gait, significantly increasing quad firing and incrementally strengthening the leg over time to improve gait biomechanics and gait efficiency.
- Routine use corrects learned hemiplegic gait muscle memory to significantly improve gait, even when unbraced.
- Using two devices as opposed to a KAFO provides flexibility in device use, depending on patient activity.
The OCSI Guardian Brace Elite AFO and Sport REHABILITATOR® are available on the SPS Online Store:
Have questions about the Sport Elite Combo REHABILITATOR®? Leave a comment below or email the Clinical Services Team.
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