Single session walking adaptations to an ankle foot orthosis in patients with claudication and peripheral artery disease

Peripheral artery disease (PAD) is an atherosclerotic disease affecting the arteries of the legs [1]. The current study evaluated if a single walking session is sufficient for patients with PAD to adapt to a passive ankle foot orthosis (AFO). Twelve subjects performed a standardized progressive load treadmill test protocol with and without the AFO. The AFO did not alter subjects’ spatiotemporal gait parameters but did significantly affect joint angle patterns during walking.