Human Technology takes a personalized approach to each pediatric patient we meet and each custom device we provide. Our orthotic and prosthetic facilities specialize in pediatric orthoses for lower extremities, including a variety of supportive devices for feet and knees that are selected based on the patient’s unique mobility needs.
Explore our selection of pediatric braces below, and when you’re ready to learn more and Live Active, contact the Human Technology office nearest you to MAKE AN APPOINTMENT with an orthotist.
SWASH stands for Sitting-Walking-and-Standing Hip orthosis. In the treatment of cerebral palsy, the goal of SWASH is to prevent excessive hip adduction when sitting, walking, and standing, and allow movement in all three planes of motion. SWASH offers guidance for hip alignment, and the base is widened for support in sitting, stretching the adductor muscles and encouraging an upright balanced posture.
SWASH Steady offers maximum trunk control when the patient is primarily non-ambulatory, while SWASH Go assists standing and ambulatory patients with scissoring gait control and greater trunk extension for improved postural positioning.
The Reciprocal Gait Orthosis is a fabricated mobility aid to improve posture, gait, and safe walking for children with lower extremity weakness. The RGO is comprised of knee-ankle-foot orthoses (KAFOs) on both the left and right sides, attached to pelvic band with a spring-loaded hip hinge. To help the patient take steps, a cable system connects the hip flexion on one side to the hip extension on the other. Strong upper extremities and assistive devices like crutches or a walker may be needed for balance and control.
Designed for younger patients, the lighter weight DAFO 3 orthosis is custom fabricated from a cast or scan and has a full wrap-around shell for flexible control of the foot position and alignment. The brace blocks plantarflexion and provides stability for patients with consistent toe walking and very little voluntary control of their ankles.
The DAFO 5 is custom fabricated from a cast or scan and has defined plantar surface contours, fully integrated padding, and a partial heel and midfoot wrap. It is suitable for patients with moderate pronation and associated gait instability, and it provides more containment than lower trimline inserts. The extra padding with the Softy Liner provides more comfortable control for difficult-to-correct feet and feet with sensitive boney prominences.
The Surestep Supramalleolar Orthosis (SMO) stabilizes the foot and relieves stress on ankles, knees, and hips for children with hypotonia, pronation, and triplanar instability. The extremely thin and flexible thermoplastic compresses the soft tissues of the foot in a unique compression system, stabilizing children while still allowing for natural development.
This SMO modification from Surestep is designed for patients who toe-walk due to sensory or stability concerns. Instead of blocking plantarflexion, the Toe Walking SMO uses compression and a posterior tongue extension to facilitate a heel-toe gate pattern. This way, children are free to continue working on gross motor skills and gait development as the orthosis fixes pronation and provides proprioceptive input to treat toe walking at the source.
