FIDIM II AFO Leg Braces

myminifactory

I used to wear commercial AFOs, but had constant issues with them breaking.  Then I had to deal with the enormous cost of getting new ones.  I felt a little let down because of that, so I designed these and named them "FIDIM" - (Fine, I'll do it myself.)  This is an evolution of a design that I have been working on for some time.  The older versions used steel hinges that had to be fabricated, making them less accesible for people that need them.  I contacted companies that make hinges for commercial AFOs, but none were interested in doing business with me.  Again, "FIDIM."  This design uses a flexible TPU "hinge" instead of a fabricated steel one. I don't yet know how long the TPU flexihinge will last, but I am testing this as we speak. I'll update and/or remove this design if I find that they don't last long enough. The flexihinge will almost certainly need to be replaced on some interval, however. That being said, I wear these myself, and I have walked 10k-30k steps per day on a factory floor over the past month (as of 7-27-22).  They have shown no signs of wear whatsoever in that time.  They may wind up lasting a very long time.   I hope that I can help someone else that needs AFOs, but can't get them for whatever reason.  I went without them for years, and they have vastly improved my quality of life now that I have them.  Please do not commercialize this design beyond what it takes to cover the cost of materials.  There are numerous braces already on the market, and I want this one to be free for all that need them.