Braces What to Expect

tiffany0727

Hi!  My son is getting SMFOs to help with his low tone and to correct his ankles (they turn in).  I am use to putting AFOs on other kids, but certainly not my own.  Anyway, we are getting them fitted on Thursday and I was wondering what to expect....  Do I need to bring tube socks?  Will they mold his foot or just take measurements.  I'm nervous and excited (because of the potential to help him start walking on his own) about getting them.  Any suggestions on how to make them like wearing them.  He might surprise me, but I think he won't like them hugging his feet.  He doesn't even like shoes.  Thanks for any advice.

Jinsy80

I just got my daughter fitted for SMOs last week. They just measured her, no molds. Her PT was annoyed that they didn't do a mold though, so maybe that's the norm. She doesn't love shoes either, but she's tolerating them more than before. We get them next week, so hopefully they'll help her a bit. And of course she just started to walk independently this weekend (at 19 months)...she also has low tone and her ankles turn in.

ToastieSimons

We had custom AFO's made.  You don't need to bring socks to the initial fitting, but you'll need to bring them to the follow up when they're finished.

DS was casted.  They put a cotton tube up his leg, wrapped it in casting material and held his foot perfectly bent at a 90degrees for the few minutes till it hardened.  Then they cut it off, removed it and did the other leg.  His AFO's are for his hypertonia (he keeps his feet pointed without them) so it was really important that they be custom made. 

DS NEVER wore shoes before getting AFO's.  And he didn't seem to mind wearing them.  We started at 1 hour a day and everyday added an hour until he was wearing them all waking hours. If he couldn't tolerate that we were to only add 30 minutes each day instead of a full hour.  I think at this point now DS knows they help him stand, etc and we've made them part of the routine.

We don't call them shoes, we call them feet to make it kind of non-negotiable that he has to wear them.   

ougrad1

ToastieSimons:

We had custom AFO's made.  You don't need to bring socks to the initial fitting, but you'll need to bring them to the follow up when they're finished.

DS was casted.  They put a cotton tube up his leg, wrapped it in casting material and held his foot perfectly bent at a 90degrees for the few minutes till it hardened.  Then they cut it off, removed it and did the other leg.  His AFO's are for his hypertonia (he keeps his feet pointed without them) so it was really important that they be custom made. 

DS NEVER wore shoes before getting AFO's.  And he didn't seem to mind wearing them.  We started at 1 hour a day and everyday added an hour until he was wearing them all waking hours. If he couldn't tolerate that we were to only add 30 minutes each day instead of a full hour.  I think at this point now DS knows they help him stand, etc and we've made them part of the routine.

We don't call them shoes, we call them feet to make it kind of non-negotiable that he has to wear them.   

My daughter has hypotonia as well.  We had the orthotics made three weeks ago and this is the process they used to make the molds as well.  Landry did a surprisingly great job tolerating it.  I sat on the table and held her in my lap while they made the molds.

They came in about a week ago and we don't go to pick them up and get our schedule for wearing them until next week.  I really like the idea of calling them her "feet."  Great idea!