Eka Noorul Amanina Darwin, Wan Nur Fatini Syahirah W. Dagang, Ahmad Aizat Johar, Mohamad Syafiq Azwan Mohd Nor and Nur Iman Immara Abdul Rahman.
Keywords: ankle foot orthosis, cerebral palsy, ankle flexion, 3D printing.
Abstract: Children with cerebral palsy may present with several gait patterns due to muscular spasticity and contractures. An effective approach to help correct abnormal gait for cerebral palsy is foot orthotics, which involves the use of synthetic or mechanical devices worn on the feet in order to stabilize, heal, or prevent injury and deformity to weak muscles or joints. Though the effectiveness of ankle foot orthotics is undeniable, the available products in the market is usually fixed at ninety degrees angle or composed of a dynamic dorsiflexion damper. This might provide discomfort or even pain for children who are in the beginner stage of orthotic treatment. Therefore, this design is focusing on the development of device that assists treatment on the foot region. The aim is to design an adjustable ankle foot orthosis so that the angle or ankle flexion can be adjusted little by little according to the children development. The design process is carried out according to proper engineering design process. To assist the decision-making phase, Pugh Method is used for conceptualization selection. The design is made with aid of Computer Aided Drawing software. Analysis is also conducted to ensure the design’s feasibility. Lastly, a full-scale model of the design is constructed using 3D printing technology as prove of functionablity.