Overview
Knee ankle foot orthosis
A knee ankle foot orthosis is designed to control your knee, ankle and foot. It can also help improve stability, posture, balance and walking.
Your orthosis could be made from plastic, leather, metal components and carbon fibre depending on the type of support needed. They are designed to be close fitting and usually fasten with Velcro™.
You'll usually be given one orthosis to start with. If you need it long term, find it helpful, or you cannot do your daily activities without it, a second one might be provided.
How to put on your orthosis
Before putting your orthosis on, check it to make sure the knee joints move freely without too much resistance. Make sure any knee locks engage and work correctly.
- Your knee should be bent.
- Hold your orthosis behind your leg, and raise your foot up towards your knee as much as possible.
- Make sure your heel is firmly in contact with the heel of the orthosis.
- Fasten the heel retaining strap firmly. If there is a forefoot strap, fasten this firmly too.
- The calf strap should then be fastened.
- Then, with the thigh section in place, secure the fastenings.
- If you have any knee aprons, fasten these securely.
- Your footwear can now be put on over the orthosis , and should be fastened snugly.
Wearing your orthosis
Your orthotist will tell you when to wear your orthosis.
If you drive, it's highly recommended that you contact your insurance company when issued with a knee ankle foot orthosis to make sure that you are covered.
Choosing footwear
Your orthosis can be worn with most types of footwear, as long as they are wide and deep enough. Trainers are often a good choice.
Choose footwear with laces or Velcro straps to make sure your orthosis fits securely. You may need a slightly larger size to accommodate your orthosis.
If your shoes or boots have insoles, you should remove them to create space for your orthosis.
Looking after your orthosis
Do
- wear socks when wearing your orthosis to help protect your skin
- wear the orthosis as instructed by your orthotist
- check your skin after wearing your orthosis
- wear suitable footwear
- clean your orthosis with a sponge dipped in warm, soapy water, and towel dry
- check your orthosis regularly for signs of wear, such as loose rivets, worn out Velcro straps, or cracked plastic
- have your orthosis checked regularly, as advised by your orthotist
Don't
- do not place near sources of heat or extreme cold temperatures
- do not try to adjust or modify your orthosis
- do not cut, file or damage your orthosis
- do not wear the orthosis with slip-on, shallow or high-heeled shoes
When to get help
The close fit of your orthosis can cause mild redness to the skin where pressure is applied. This is normal.
Contact the orthotics service if:
- you notice skin redness that lasts longer than 30 minutes. This can be harder to see on brown or black skin
- you notice any breaks in your skin, such as sores or blisters
- you have any pain, irritation, or notice increased rubbing of the skin
Maintenance and repairs
Your orthosis should be checked for safety and repairs approximately every 6 months. We’ll send you reminders when it’s time for your review.
If you have 2 knee-ankle-foot orthoses, please bring both with you in case one needs to stay with us for maintenance.
When you received your orthosis, you agreed to:
- have your orthosis serviced approximately every 6 months
- attend a yearly review appointment
- contact us if you cannot make an appointment
If you do not bring your orthosis in regularly or miss your appointments, the orthotics department will no longer be responsible for managing or maintaining it.
If we do not hear from you or you choose not to use this review and repair service, we will discharge you from the service and ask you to return your orthosis to us.
Resource number: 4388/VER2
Last reviewed: September 2025
Next review due: September 2028
