Houdini Modification on Benik Handsplints

Have you ever had a child that is able to easily remove their Wrist Hand Finger Orthosis (WHFO)? Benik has a slick solution for this. They add an extra buckle similar to a backpack adjustment strap that makes it nearly impossible to take the WHFO off.

Neat little trick to hold rivet punches

 

 

 

I learned this trick from Frank Hodges at Sunstone Lab.  Use an inexpensive magnetic tray from Harbor Freight and stick it right on your vice.  The rivets punches are now easily accessible and always in one place.

 

Making a reinforced hole for a G-Tube for a TLSO body sock

Lately I have had a run on TLSO’s  for patients that have a G-tube.  Here is a little trick that I do with the body socks.  I take the silicone from Coyote Design and put a “blob” about the size of a 50 cent piece and then quickly use a rectangle of plastic and push the silicone into the sock.  I then use a half round punch to make a nice long oval hole.  Parents seem to really appreciate a hole that does not fray.

 

 

Name that creative rivet holder!…Creative use of ???

Leave a comment if you know what the creative holder is made of…Be specific!

Custom Straps for AFOs or for Lanyards for a prosthesis

Here is the first try of a custom strap. Stay tuned for more information.

How put transfers onto straps for AFO’s, KAFO’s, Lanyards for an Above the Knee Prosthesis

There was a question posed on the orthotics and prosthetics forum a few weeks ago on how to transfer patterns to straps. The range of answers was anything from using an iron to using a t-shirt heat press. Well, deep in the lifEnabled proving grounds the answer of how to produce a crisp, clean, consistent image on a strap was achieved. We tried ironing and it “worked” but was quite inconsistent. I then ordered a t-shirt heat press from ProWorld Inc and found that it gave the sharpest and most consistent results. From now on if a patient wants a transfer the straps will match. If you do not want to buy a press you do have another option. Frank Hodges from Sunstone Lab will put together a strap kit for you. We are going to start experimenting with sublimation printing to see about creating custom transfers.

Guest Post: Using a panel saw to cut plastic

Advanced Orthopedic Designs in Texas uses a panel saw to cut all their plastic for orthoses. I love this tip because a panel saw does not take up much room and seems safer than many of the other options I have seen in the field.

Guest Post: Tie-Dye AFO socks

A patient of mine and her mom were tired of the white AFO socks so they decided to add some color to them. Take a look at the tie-dye AFO socks.

A homemade device for heating and relieving pressure areas on AFO’s, SMO’s, and thermoplastic prostheses

This is a tip from Kevin Matthews, CO at Advanced Orthopedic Designs. He found some threaded ball knobs in the MSC catalog and attached them to threaded rod. The rod fits perfectly in the pipe that they use to pour orthoses. He has a few different sizes that he can use and they are perfect for a consistent shape heat relief in any thermoplastic device.

Component Review: Tamarack Flexure Joint Caps for Hinged AFO’s

Have you ever wanted to hinge a brace yet maybe not do it right away? Tamarack has come up with a pretty neat way to add Flexure Joints on the outside of an AFO.  The Tamarack Flexure Joint Caps also allow you to be a little more creative with an AFO designs. They have a few neat AFO designs on their blog and I have a couple pictures of what I have done with them. I think it is a neat idea and a very clean option for fabrication. I really like being able to have a very intimate fit around the malleoli yet have the articulation. Here is a dorsi-assist AFO that I did for a child with neuropathy.

Here is a picture of a unilateral upright dorsiflexion assist AFO.  The little girl I made this AFO for had a stroke but has gained a great deal of strength and now only needs a little boost for her dorsiflexors.  The AFO had to be pulled in two sections and joined with a chicago screw and then a Flexure Cap was placed right on top of the joint.  I have not fit it yet but it looks as though it will work.