KAFO
Pronunciation: KAY-foh
Also written as: KAFO — Knee–Ankle–Foot Orthosis
Abbreviation for Knee–Ankle–Foot Orthosis; a device spanning the knee, ankle, and foot used to provide stability and control in the lower limb.
Full Definition
A Knee–Ankle–Foot Orthosis (KAFO) is a lower-limb orthosis that encompasses the knee, ankle, and foot, providing structural support across multiple joints. It is prescribed for conditions involving quadriceps weakness, knee instability, or paralysis, such as in polio sequelae or spinal cord injury. KAFOs may include drop-lock or bail-lock knee joints to allow controlled flexion. In clinical documents, the abbreviation should be expanded on first use. Editors should be alert to inconsistent hyphenation in the expanded form.
Usage
Usage note: Use en dashes between anatomical levels in the expanded form. Distinguish from AFO (ankle and foot only) and HKAFO (hip, knee, ankle, and foot).
In Context
- "The orthotist's assessment recommended a KAFO to manage the patient's bilateral knee instability." — Orthotist's clinical report
- "Ensure 'KAFO' is expanded to 'Knee–Ankle–Foot Orthosis' on first mention in all patient documentation." — Document editing checklist