Proximally Placed Alignment Control Strap for Ankle Varus Deformity: A Case Report

Ankle varus is a commonly encountered deformity in patients with neurologic or musculoskeletal disorders. It impedes stability during the stance phase of gait and often causes skin lesions on the lateral ankle area. Plastic or conventional ankle-foot orthoses (AFOs) with supplementary features such as a T-strap or increased contact area of the lateral flange have been used for correctable varus deformities. These supplementary modifications, however, have limitations as effective tools for varus control, and ankle varus may persist despite their use. We are revisiting the concept of a proximally placed alignment control strap for ankle varus, which may overcome the limitations of currently available modifications. This alignment control strap is designed to provide a medially directed force on the tibia and fibula against the force of varus deformation of the ankle. This modification can be easily added to various types of existing AFOs with acceptable aesthetic appearance. We describe 2 cases of manually correctable but persistent varus deformities of the ankle that were successfully controlled by utilization of the proximally placed alignment control strap.