Basic functions of orthosis:

Orthotics can fix the diseased spine and limb joints, relieve spasm, relieve pain, reduce local load-bearing of limbs, promote inflammation regression, disease or fracture healing, correct deformity or prevent the development of deformity, limit the abnormal activity of joints, improve limb function, relieve nerve compression and muscle spasm with traction device, etc. Generally speaking, the basic functions of orthotics are as follows:

(1) Support and stability

By limiting the abnormal movement of the joint to stabilize the joint, relieve the pain or restore the bearing function and movement function of the joint. For example, the lower limb orthosis, knee joint stability orthosis, ankle foot orthosis, soft waistband and so on.

(2) Fixation and protection

Fixation and protection of the diseased spine and limb joints to promote the recovery of the diseased and reduce pain. For example, all kinds of orthoses used to fix fractures have typical fixation and protection functions.

(3) Correction and Prevention

By changing the force line and point, correcting the deformity or preventing the development of deformity, limiting the abnormal movement of joints and improving the limb function. For example, the knee ankle foot orthoses, the foot valgus orthoses and the orthoses to prevent or relieve the contracture of the upper limbs in stroke patients are used to correct the "O" or "X" legs.

(4) Load free and traction

Change the load-bearing part, avoid the load-bearing of the diseased limb or trunk (long axis), promote the inflammation to subside, the diseased or the fracture to heal; use the traction device to reduce the nerve compression and relieve the muscle spasm. For example, for the treatment of aseptic necrosis of the femoral head, the load-bearing lower limb orthoses of the Ischia and the patellar ligament orthoses of the disabled parts should be avoided.

(5) Functional compensation

The forms of functional compensation are mainly as follows:

① Through a certain device, such as rubber band, spring, etc., to provide power or energy storage, compensate for the loss of muscle function, give a certain auxiliary force to make the paralyzed muscle produce movement. Such as the extension assisted orthosis, the dynamic opposite palm orthosis and so on.

② It compensates muscle movement through external power (motor, air pressure, etc.), such as the upper and / or lower extremity dynamic orthopedic appliance of the exoskeleton wearable type.

③ To make up the length of limbs, we should use orthosis to make up for the length of limbs, such as to make up for the increase of asymmetrical length of feet.

Among the above five basic functions, one or more of them can be used in an orthopedic appliance. For example, the rigid cervical orthosis has many functions such as support and stability, free and traction, fixation and protection.

 Orthopedic appliance to deal with common injuries and diseases

First aid, emergency trauma: bone and joint injury, bone and joint diseases; various contractures and deformities; motor dysfunction; cerebrovascular accident, craniocerebral injury; various diseases and muscle weakness; infantile cerebral palsy, hypoplasia, poliomyelitis, congenital deformities; metabolic diseases, movement disorders caused by chronic toxicity; pathological fractures, pathological deformities; burns, etc.

 Clinical application purpose of orthosis

1. Protect limbs and prevent injury.

2. Stabilize limbs and promote wound healing.

3. Reduce limb activity, promote edema, inflammation absorption and relieve limb pain.

4. Prevent and correct deformities.

5. Limit the out of range movement of joints.

6. Increase the range of joint motion.

7. Compensate for the length and shape of the limb.

8. Treatment of muscle relaxation weakness and high muscle tension.

9. Compensation or enhancement of upper limb function.

10. To compensate or enhance the standing and walking function or functional activity of the lower limbs.