Improving independence in the community for stroke survivors : the role of biomechanics visualisation in ankle-foot orthosis tuning

One of the key priorities for stroke survivors in their rehabilitation process is regaining their ability to walk. Evidence has shown that provision of ankle-foot orthoses (AFOs) can have a positive impact on walking. This paper discusses the role of gait analysis in the provision of AFOs for stroke survivors. A discussion of the shortcomings of gait analysis techniques is included, with a description of how these might be overcome during the AFO tuning process through the ongoing development of data visualisation software. The design of a randomised controlled trial in conjunction with a series of qualitative measures is described, which will be used to test the efficacy of the visualisation software