Arizona or Colorado Brace after foot surgery
This is a thread posted in category: Foot Surgery . . View All Heel Pain CategoriesPosted by Dolores S on 11/14/07 at 18:39
I now have an impedement of two joints, on the outside of my ankle which is causing me pain. I do not want to have another operation. I have gone to two more foot specialists. One is recommending an Arizona brace and the other says I can do with a Colorado brace. Has anyone used both braces? Can they tell me what their feelings were of the two braces? Did they find one better than the other? Any informations would be helpful
Thanks.
Dolores.
Posted by Jeremy L, C Ped on 11/14/07 at 20:11
The two keys to this line of care are:
1. How good is the negative cast that is made.
2. How good is the lab that is making the brace.
Arizona AFO at one time licensed out their work to other labs, sometimes with disastrous results (I, personally, am still miffed at the device sent for one of my patients from one of their licensed labs). Arizona now makes all their braces on site, so the finished results are routinely excellent.
Although I still have great faith in their braces, I now most often use Southwest Orthopedic Design to craft gauntlet braces for me. The lab founder was a long time producer with Ernesto, so his skills (and those of his staff) are excellent. Functionally, I also get better patient results and tolerance. This is because they use carbon fiber instead of polypropylene as the support mechanism, reducing both bulk and weight. They also use some very high quality synthetic materials to decrease weight and comfort. I have yet to be disappointed with their work.
Posted by Dr. Wedemeyer on 11/15/07 at 00:10
Posted by Sr. Mary Catharine on 12/06/07 at 06:04
I didn't use it post-surgically. Currently I'm in a CAM boot and looking at surgery to repair a torn peroneal tendon in the very near future.
Posted by Dr. Wedemeyer on 12/06/07 at 10:27
Many companies seem to have jumped on the bandwagon offering their version of an ankle/foot orthosis. The whole idea behind the design is to control/limit the motion of the ankle/foot and the CO brace just will not achieve that goal.
I agree and believe that you can obtain more support from one of the OTC straps than this leather device. They are also a lot less expensive.
Good luck with your surgery.
Posted by Dolores S on 2/18/08 at 19:34
Because my foot surgery did not work for a Post Tibial Tendon Transfer with a Calcaneal Osteotomy, my foot is flatter than ever and I am in more pain than ever. I went to two doctors, one is an orthopedic surgeon and the other is a podiatrist. Both agree that I need some sort of Arizona type brace made from a cast.
Can anyone tell me the advantage or disadvantages of the Arizona brace verses the Southwest Orthopedic brace. I know the Southwest is thinner and lighter, but do they both get the same results. If so I would go with the Southwest.
Is there anything else out there that might be better?
I am quite nervous about this whole thing plus I cannot afford to make a mistake.
Posted by Dr. Wedemeyer on 2/19/08 at 23:45
Now to brass tacks. I like the materials, fit, slim design and rigidity the SW brace offers. I have used several bracing companies and found that heat molded polypropylene is more forgiving than the composites and it should be a big consideration depending on your foot type, condition and needs.
Also the shoe worn with the brace is the other half of the equation and of equal importance. Either way assuming that it is casted correctly either design should give you a lot of relief.
When ankle hinges, dorsiflexion assist/resist is warranted I prefer the SW. It is very difficult to beat the medial/lateral stability of this design when the ankle is open. In your case the ankle portion will be fixed at 90 degrees so this is not a concern.
You should discuss this with your surgeon and whoever provides the brace for you. SW is a newer company and they may not even be aware of its availability, but they are growing a huge following due to their craftsmanship, detail and customer service.
Posted by Kelly on 7/07/08 at 18:50
'The owner of South West Orthopedic was actually employed by AZ AFO for many years.'
The owner is virtually out of the business. His son is running it now but is not certified and is only in the ortho business for a couple of years.
Posted by Russ on 7/09/08 at 12:25
Posted by Dr. Wedemeyer on 7/09/08 at 12:37
'The owner is virtually out of the business. His son is running it now but is not certified and is only in the ortho business for a couple of years.'
This is a potentially libelous statement. Russ Eral is not only a C.Ped, he has had the benefit of his father's 40 years in O&P to learn the business and specifically their unique process and design.
Charles Eral is in fact still a part of the business (it is a family owned and run entity) but you are correct that the day to day operations are now run by his son Russ. Russ has been actively working for and learning from his father since day one.
I use their braces and have yet to find anything matching their comfort, rigidity, decreased volume and flexibility of design.
Posted by Dr. Wedemeyer on 7/09/08 at 12:37
'The owner is virtually out of the business. His son is running it now but is not certified and is only in the ortho business for a couple of years.'
This is a potentially libelous statement. Russ Eral is not only a C.Ped, he has had the benefit of his father's 40 years in O&P to learn the business and specifically their unique process and design.
Charles Eral is in fact still a part of the business (it is a family owned and run entity) but you are correct that the day to day operations are now run by his son Russ. Russ has been actively working for and learning from his father since day one.
I use their braces and have yet to find anything matching their comfort, rigidity, decreased volume and flexibility of design.
Posted by Deborah W. on 7/22/10 at 19:11
coloraqdo
Posted by Jeremy L, C Ped on 7/22/10 at 22:53
Posted by Jeremy L, C Ped on 7/22/10 at 22:58
