Study characteristics by condition
| Main publication (associated papers) Country | Study design N in study (n in analyses) | Population % male Mean age (SD) | Intervention (I) Comparator (C) | Cointerventions | Length of follow-up |
| Postpolio syndrome | |||||
| Bocker et al
15 (Bocker et al
36) Germany | Case series n=10 (6) | 30 64.5 | I: carbon fibre KAFO C: no comparator | Gait training, pain therapy and exercises (twice per week for 3 months) | 3 months |
| Brehm et al
11 Netherlands | Case series n=23 (20) | 61 55 (9.2) | I: carbon fibre KAFO (locked knee-joint) C: leather/metal or plastic/metal KAFO used previously by same participants | Walking aids were used by some participants | 26 weeks |
| Davis et al
14 Australia | Case series n=10 (10) | 40 61.9 (7.7) | I: carbon fibre SCKAFO in stance control mode C: KAFO in locked knee mode used by same participants | Walking aids | Mean duration of use at time of evaluation 6.2 (SD 5.2) months |
| Hachisuka et al
12 Japan (Hachisuka et al 37) | Case series n=11 (8–11*) | 18 53.9 (9.8) | I: carbon fibre KAFO C: traditional non-carbon KAFO used by same participants | Walking aids | Not reported |
| Heim et al
17 Israel | Case series n=30 (27) | 33 44 | I: carbon fibre KAFO C: no comparator | Not reported | 30 months |
| Peethambaran et al
13 USA | Case series n=5 (5) | 40 61.4 (12.4) | I: carbon titanium KAFO (anterior approach design) C: plastic KAFO (posterior approach design) used previously by the same participants | Not reported | 6 weeks |
| Steinfeldt et al
16 Germany | Case series n=55 (55) | 44 58 | I: carbon fibre KAFO C: no comparator | Not reported | >3 months |
| Inclusion body myositis | |||||
| Bernhardt et al
18 USA | Case series n=9 (6) | 78 61 (9) | I: SCKAFO C: no comparator | Not reported | 6 months |
| Poststroke | |||||
| Boudarham et al
21 France | Case series n=11 (unclear) | 64 51 (15) | I: carbon fibre KAFO C: no comparator | Not reported | Device prescribed within past 6 months |
| Kakurai and Akai10 Japan | Case series n=28 (28) | 50 54.5 | I: plastic convertible KAFO (to AFO) C: participants who changed to AFO compared with those remaining on KAFO | Not reported | Not reported |
| Morinaka et al
20 Japan | Cohort study n=25 (25) | 64 56 | I: plastic KAFO C: 50 participants fitted with AFOs and a group of 30 healthy adult males | Not reported | Mean 14.6 months (range 1–35) |
| Yang et al
19 China | RCT n=67 (67) | 84 58 | I: KAFO or AFO C: ‘Conventional rehabilitation’ | Not reported | Not reported |
| Spinal cord injury | |||||
| Harvey et al
22 (Harvey et al,38 Harvey et al 39) Australia | RCT (crossover) n=10 (5–10†) | 90 37 (8.4) | I: HKAFO (Walkabout orthosis) C: HKAFO (IRGO) | Gait training (30–54 hours per orthosis) Crutches | 28 weeks |
| Jaspers et al
25 Belgium | Case series n=14 (14) | 86 33.6 | I: HKAFO (ARGO) C: no comparator | Walker or crutches | 1 year |
| Middleton et al
26 Australia | Case series n=25 (21) | 76 35 (13) | I: HKAFO (Walkabout orthosis) C: no comparator | Parallel bars, forearm crutches or frames | ≥18 months |
| Scivoletto et al
27 Italy | Case series n=24 (24‡) | 79 33.6 (3.2) | I: HKAFO (RGO) C: no comparator (internal comparison of non-users vs users) | Not reported | 1 year |
| Summers et al
28 UK | Case series n=20 (20) | 100 28 | I: HKAFO (HGO ParaWalker) C: no comparator | Crutches used as decided by patient | Mean 20 months |
| Sun et al
29 China | Case series n=20 (15) | 67 33.7 | I: HKAFO (RGO) C: no comparator | Not reported | Not reported |
| Tang et al
23 China | Controlled study n=58 (unclear) | 83 32.4 | I: AGO, RGO, KAFO C: rehabilitation training | Rehabilitation training | 4 months§ |
| Whittle et al
24 UK | Controlled study (crossover) n=22 (Unclear¶) | 82 34 | I: HKAFO (HGO ParaWalker) C: HKAFO (RGO) | Rollator or crutches | 4 months |
| Wu et al
30 China | Case series n=6 (6) | 67 27.6 | I: HKAFO (Walkabout orthosis) C: no comparator group | Gait training including balance plus walking exercises | Unclear |
*Eight completed assessment of non-carbon fibre KAFO and walking without an orthosis and 11 completed assessment of carbon fibre KAFO.
†Appears to be 22 for analysis of final choice of orthosis, although one left the trial without trying either and three participants tried only one. It was unclear how many participants were included in other analyses.
‡Appears to be 10 for all analyses except for speed of walking on flat surface (n=8) and speed of walking on ramp (n=5).
§Eight weeks after fitting of device.
¶A total of 24 for the single outcome eligible for the review, although unclear for other analyses in the study.
AFO, ankle-foot orthosis; AGO, alternative gait orthosis; ARGO, advanced reciprocating gait orthosis; HGO, hip guidance orthosis; IRGO, isocentric reciprocating gait orthosis; KAFO, knee-ankle-foot orthosis; RGO, reciprocating gait orthosis; SCKAFO, stance-control knee-ankle-foot orthosis.