adV PowerSpring Spiral Orthosis
Aiding mobility - that is the philosophy and top priority for adViva when it comes to the individual development and adaptation of assistive products. Regardless of whether it is orthopedic insoles, orthoses or prostheses, or whether a wheelchair helps to be mobile in life.
The "aiding mobility" philosophy is also the basis of the "adV PowerSpring" spiral orthosis made of the light and flexible material carbon. It is developed, designed and manufactured for individual demands in the workshops of adViva orthopedic technicians and gait analysis specialists. The production of orthoses illustrates the complex requirementsthat adViva places on the topic of "dynamic movement". The master orthopedic technician and adViva managing director Gerhard Biber defines as one of the main goals of this orthotic device to acquaint the patient with a new gait pattern". Further factors are:
1. Can muscles, muscle fibers and tendons develop in orthoses if the upper ankle joint is held rigidly?
2. How can the ankle joint be kept mobile with the orthosis? Disadvantages of conventional orthoses or treatment methods that keep the upper ankle joint rigid have already been documented by a large number of studies (e.g. p.5 Laboratory for Gait Analysis, Children's University Hospital Basel (UK BB) "Gait & Posture 24 (2006) 467 - 474)
3. Is the power potential, which neurogenic patients basically have, sufficiently used and promoted?
4. Shortened muscles and fasciae cannot be stretched, just like tendons. Does this insight flow into all development steps of the orthosis?
5. Static treatment of muscles causes them to regress, i.e. muscles must be activated more strongly. Is this important fact, which plays a major role in the development of the appropriate orthosis, also fully taken into account?
Approach: adV PowerSpring spiral orthosis as a training device
- The foot is dynamically affected (and not only held in maximum-correctable position)
- Holistic body movement is encouraged (frontal, saggital and transversal in the pelvis)
- Reduced speed at the upper ankle joint facilitates eccentric muscle activity
- Acceleration of the leg in the swing-through phase
- Increased return of energy and thus the possibility of more economical walking, which extends the radius of action.
How does the adV PowerSpring spiral orthosis work?
The spiral orthosis strains muscles, tendons and muscle fibers as in "normal" walking. It supports natural movement and helps the patient to reach the goals he/she has set for himself/herself faster and better.
adV® PowerSpring®
Orthoses can specifically activate muscle groups in the various gait phases through different levers. Stabilizing the leg in the stance phases also helps to improve the physiological biomechanics during walking. The tasks of an orthosis also include controlling the walking movement. Movement should not be inhibited and it should be easy to put the orthosis on.
adViva has developed a new orthosis that supports both the foot lifter muscles and theweak calf muscles. It is called "adViva® PowerSpring®" and can store ground reaction forces and release them again at the right moment so that a strong swing phase is triggered and the foot lifter is activated. This creates a positive training effect and walking becomes much easier.
The orthosis is very light and is worn in ready-made shoes. In contrast to prefabricated orthoses, the spring of the "Powerspring" is individually modelled and manufactured to the patient's requirements by means of different strengths of the carbon.
The video-supported adViva movement analysis during the consultation hour is used to check the effectiveness of the measures.
adV® PowerSpring®
An orthosis from the house of adViva:
- Improved knee extension and easier swinging through by optimal interaction between the construction and material selection of the orthosis – thus enabling physiological walking
- Increased return of energy and thus the possibility of more economical walking, thus extending the range of action
- Active stretching of the musculature
- Possibility of wearing ready-made shoes
- Lower and upper ankle joint are kept corrected despite dynamic mobility
- Movements are not blocked but supported
- The orthosis also becomes a training device
You can find further information under adV® PowerSpring®