Have you had trouble achieving comfort with AFO’s due to irritation around the proximal brim? We’ve had excellent results with applying a small strip of ShearBan^® material around the brim of AFO’s. This technique results in a wrinkle-free, cosmetically appealing and functional device that won’t rub AFO wearers the wrong way.

Here’s a step-by-step tutorial on applying ShearBan^® around the brim of an AFO. This technique can also be used for other braces, including off-the-shelf braces, wrist-hand orthoses and elbow contracture orthoses.

You’ll need:

*A piece of ShearBan^® which you’ll cut to size based on the length of the brim.

*A sharp scissors. We used a small folding scissors, available from many outdoor retailers and also from http://shop.tamarackhti.com. A curved-blade scissors will also do the trick.

Step 1 (below):

Cut a 1.5″ to 2″ wide piece of ShearBan from a sheet of ShearBan (model 749).

Since we are fitting a pediatric brace, our piece measures 1.5″ wide by 7″ long.

Steps 2 & 3 (below):

Apply patch from inside of the AFO so that at least 1″ or about 2/3 of the patch width is inside the brace.

Fold the entire remaining piece of ShearBan over the back side of the brace. Press firmly to secure.

ShearBan is available from O&P product suppliers worldwide. For more ShearBan^® application tips, technical presentations and literature, visit www.shearban.com.