BRACES (CALIPERS) - Disabled Village Children

BRACES (CALIPERS)

Different plastic brace models for different needs

In various places in this book we have shown different brace models and how

they meet the particular needs of a child. See, for example, p. 66 to 73 and p. 116.

Here are a few more ideas for different plastic braces:

Below-knee brace that gives knee support

The child with a weak upper leg

whose knee cannot support her

full weight, may be helped

enough by a brace that

pushes her knee back.

A strong stiff ankle on

the brace, with the foot

tilted down slightly (more

than 90°), pushes the

knee back when she steps.

Front of brace

presses against

knee.

The simplest way

to make this

brace is to rivet

the seam where

the plastic joins

in front. (See

photo, p. 550.)

CAUTION: The shoe

or sandal may

affect the angle

of the foot.

Allow for this

when deciding

the angle

for the

foot of the

brace.

557

A similar brace can be made in

2 parts.

1. Make the lower part, and place it

back on the plaster mold.

2. Place the mold

like this and form

the top part of the

brace over the

lower part.

When the child grows,

this brace can be

made longer by

removing the rivets

and separating the 2

ends more.

rivets

Side-support knee brace

A brace that supports the knee may help a child

that has a sideway bend or partial dislocation of

the knee.

Make the

brace

higher on

the side

that

needs

support.

Also, make

the brace

higher on

the side

of the

ankle

that needs

support.

Also, in an

above-knee

brace, you

can put extra

support on

the side of

the knee that

needs it.

Above-knee plastic braces

The simplest kind of above-knee plastic brace is a single piece without a knee

hinge. You can make it in the same way as a below-knee brace, with or without a

footpiece. These braces are useful on small children.

To make a jointed above-knee brace:

1. Draw the shape of the

child’s leg on paper.

1. Mark the height of the

hip bone

crotch

mid-knee

ankle bone

4. Temporarily

pin or bolt the

plastic pieces to

the metal pieces.

Then you can

adjust the front-

to-back angles

with the brace on

the child.

5. When the angles

are right, mark

the position, and

after checking

all aspects of fit,

rivet the pieces

together and add

straps and knee

supports.

3. After forming the plastic pieces on

plaster molds, bend metal joint pieces

so they fit the shape of the leg.

To bend the flat

bar, make or buy a

bending iron.

steel bending iron

Hinged braces can also

be made using the plastic

itself for knee hinges,

and even ankle hinges.

However, these hinges

may not last long with

heavy use.

rivet

disabled village children