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shoe by tightening the strap another hole. Never use lotion on red patches of skin. Lotion can make the problem worse.
Reddening of the skin that disappears a short time after the shoe has been removed is not a cause for concern.
How-
ever, if the redness becomes more severe and darker, or if a blister forms, please see your doctor as soon as
possible.
They will decide how to proceed. If necessary, a plaster cast will be applied again, leaving the affected area of
skin exposed so that it can heal. This is because if there are persistent problems when wearing them, it can be an early
sign of a relapse.
2.3 Foot sweat and moisture
For children who are prone to heavy foot perspiration, the unusually long wearing time of 23 hours a day can cause
shoes to be continuously damp. If you use shoes with a leather lining, it can also lead to mould on the inner leather in
rare cases, as this is only tanned with vegetable substances to prevent allergies. We therefore always recommend,
regardless of the lining material:
• air your shoes twice a day for half an hour
• if your feet perspire heavily, change socks several times a day
2.4 Clothing
The foot supports must always be worn with socks or tights. It is important to avoid pressure points. It is advisable to use
socks with few threads and seams on the inside and to make sure that there are no creases in the fabric.
2.5 Adjusting the splints
2.5.1 The AFLA-Flex Brace foot abduction splint / ALFA-Flex XL Brace foot abduction splint
The ALFA-Flex Brace Foot Abduction Splint / ALFA-Flex XL Brace foot abduction splint is usually initially adjusted to
70° external rotation (abduction) for a clubfoot and 40° for an unaffected foot. Dorsal extension – i.e. flexion of the foot
towards the shin – is set at 5 – 10°. These settings may seem extreme to people who are not familiar with the Ponseti
method, but they are normal and necessary for the treatment. If you look at your child’s last cast, you will notice a similar
position. The length of the splint should be slightly above your child’s shoulder width.
2.5.2 The BETA-Flex Brace foot abduction splint
The BETA-Flex Brace foot abduction splint allows young patients more freedom of movement with full therapeutic func-
tionality. The abduction angle can be set between 0° and 70°; the dorsal extension is fixed at 5° in the therapeutic area.
Two spring-back joints enable a child to more naturally kick and crawl during splint treatment. The reset forces mean that
the feet are always realigned into the desired therapeutic position.
2.6 Cleaning your ALFA-Flex or BETA-Flex foot abduction orthosis
Your foot abduction splints can be cleaned with soap and water without any problems. There is no need to disinfect them.
However, if you use a spray for disinfection or other harsh cleaning agents, the material could be attacked.
2.7
Known contraindications and side effects when using the ALFA-Flex or BETA-Flex foot ab-
duction orthosis
An absolute contraindication is an incomplete plaster corrective, especially if the heel is still raised. In this case, the foot
does not sit properly in the shoe and the dorsiflexion set on the splint cannot fulfil its purpose (prevention of drop foot
recurrence).
Relative contraindications are multiple impairments in the children to be treated. These are determined in advance by
the respective treating physician of the respective centre of competence for clubfoot treatment according to Ponseti.
Blisters or redness could occur as side effects. In this case, parents should contact the responsible orthopaedic tech
-
nician.
No other side effects are known.
2 How to use
