Effect of Static and dynamic ankle foot Orthoses on Tendo Achilles tightness in subject with diplegic spastic cerebral palsy- A hypothetical literature review

Background Spastic diplegia is a form of cerebral palsy (CP) that is a chronic neuromuscular condition of hypertonia and spasticity manifested as an especially high and constant tightness or stiffness in the muscles of the lower extremities of the human body, usually those of the legs, hips and pelvis. An ankle-foot orthosis (AFO) is an orthosis or brace that encumbers the ankle and foot which is the most frequently used orthosis in case of diplegic cerebral palsy. Objective of the study was to review the effect of static and dynamic AFO on Tendo Achilles (TA) tightness in subjects with diplegic spastic cerebral palsy. Methods Total of 20 articles reviewed aiming to know the effect of either static or dynamic orthosis which can help to reduce TA tightness among diplegic subjects. Conclusion Thus based on the various results achieved in the previous studies, this literature review concluded that both static and dynamic ankle foot orthoses are equally important in rehabilitating a child with TA tightness in diplegic cerebral palsy, static AFOs assist mainly in stability component whereas dynamic AFOs help in maintaining both mobility and stability of ankle joint