The Richie Brace
The Richie Brace has been used extensively in the United States and has recently been introduced in Australia. The Foot and Ankle Clinic is one of the first practices in Victoria to be trained to measure, assess, cast and prescribe the Richie Brace.
The Richie Brace has become a gold standard treatment in the orthotics industry. It is universally recognized by Podiatrists, pedorthists, orthotists and orthopedic surgeons as a unique, breakthrough technology to treat a wide variety of foot and ankle pathologies such as foot drop, ankle arthritis, ankle sprains and many other ankle injuries.
The Richie Brace® is a revolutionary alternative to traditional ankle braces and ankle-foot orthoses (AFO’s). The lightweight construction and low profile design features of the Richie Brace allows better shoe fit, more freedom of movement and reduced pain from injury. Many of our patients can eventually recover and discontinue wearing their brace.
The Richie Brace is a custom Ankle Foot Orthotic (AFO) that has 2 adjustable uprights placed either side of the leg and ankle which articulate with the contoured orthotic footplate. This allows for unrestricted ankle motion (excluding the restricted hinge AFO). The Richie Brace AFO has several advantages over tradition AFOs including:
- Streamline design allows for ease of fit into shoes
- Custom fit to the foot and leg with excellent patient comfort
- It’s lightweight, sports design is preferred by patients over traditional is a revolutionary alternative to traditional ankle braces and ankle-foot orthoses (AFO’s).
The two most common conditions treated with various models of the Richie Brace® products are Posterior Tibial Tendon Dysfunction (also known as PTTD or Adult Acquired Flat Foot) and Foot Drop.
There are 4 types of Richie Brace AFO
1. The Richie Standard AFO is indicated for challenging foot and ankle pathologies such as:
- Posterior tibial tendon dysfunction (Adult acquired flatfoot)
- Ankle instability
Benefits
- Control of first Ray, Midtarsal and Subtalar joints
- Control of Calcaneal inversion/eversion
- Pure, unrestricted sagittal ankle Motion
- Thin posterior plastic shell allows optimal shoe fit
- No need to increase shoe size
2. The Arch Suspender modifications (medial or lateral) are indicated for severe cases of posterior tibial tendon dysfunction and extreme pronation.
MEDIAL ARCH SUSPENDER
LATERAL ARCH SUSPENDER
3. The Fixed Hinge AFO A more rigid ankle articulation restricts ankle dorsiflexion and plantarflexion is indicated for Ankle and subtalar joint osteoarthritis.
- Severe Arthritis and degeneration
- Dropfoot
4. The Dynamic Assist AFO is indicated for the stabilisation of the foot and ankle in patients with weakness of leg muscles (foot drop) which may be the result from:
- Post stroke
- Mild cerebral palsy
- Charcot Marie Tooth Disease
- Post spinal cord surgery
- Peroneal nerve trauma
Benefits:
- Dynamic dorsiflexion-assist
- Control of varus/valgus alignment of the foot
- Pure, unrestricted sagittal ankle motion
- Optimal shoe fit
At the Foot and Ankle Clinic our highly qualified team of Podiatrists are all members of the Australian Podiatry Association and offer a combined 50 years’ experience. They are trained to effectively prescribe and fit the Richie Brace and ensure you get the best fit and results. Put your feet in our hands! See us today in Chadstone, Moe, Sale, Traralgon, Warragul & Online Store and Retail Enquiries. NO REFERRAL NEEDED!.
