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Orthotic Services Glossary

100 terms total — 24 showing — Last updated 15 Sep 2026

Sagittal Plane Control

Intermediate Technical IVT

The management of forward and backward motion (flexion and extension) through orthotic design, particularly relevant to ankle and knee function during gait.

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Accommodative Orthosis

Intermediate Technical IVT

A foot orthosis designed to conform to and cushion a deformed or at-risk foot structure, redistributing pressure rather...

Technical Term Full entry →

AFO

Intermediate Technical IVT

Abbreviation for Ankle–Foot Orthosis; a device encompassing the ankle and foot used to control position and motion of th...

Abbreviation Full entry →

Ankle Foot Orthosis

Intermediate Technical IVT

A brace encompassing the ankle and foot, designed to control motion, correct deformity, or support weakened musculature...

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Biomechanical Assessment

Intermediate Technical IVT

A structured clinical evaluation of the mechanical forces and movement patterns of a patient's musculoskeletal system, u...

Document Type Full entry →

Biomechanical Efficiency

Intermediate Technical IVT

The degree to which an orthotic device optimises a patient's movement patterns while minimising energy expenditure durin...

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CAD/CAM Orthosis

Intermediate Technical IVT

An orthotic device designed and fabricated using computer-aided design and computer-aided manufacturing technology, elim...

Technical Term Full entry →

Calcaneal Inclination Angle

Advanced Technical IVT

The angle formed between the plantar surface of the calcaneus and the weight-bearing surface, used to quantify rearfoot...

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Carbon Fibre Composite

Intermediate Technical IVT

A lightweight, high-strength material made from carbon fibre strands embedded in a resin matrix, used in high-performanc...

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Casting

Intermediate Technical IVT

The process of capturing a three-dimensional impression of a patient's body part—typically a foot or limb—as the basis f...

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Cervical Orthosis

Intermediate Technical IVT

An external device applied to the neck to immobilise, limit, or support cervical spine motion following injury, surgery,...

Technical Term Full entry →

Charcot Neuroarthropathy

Advanced Technical IVT

A progressive, non-infectious destruction of bone and joint architecture of the foot and ankle arising from peripheral n...

Technical Term Full entry →

Cobb Angle

Advanced Technical IVT

The standard radiographic measurement used to quantify the degree of spinal curvature in scoliosis, measured between per...

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Coronal Plane Control

Intermediate Technical IVT

Orthotic management of mediolateral (side-to-side) movement, particularly inversion and eversion at the subtalar and ank...

Technical Term Full entry →

CROW

Professional Technical IVT

Acronym for Charcot Restraint Orthotic Walker, a custom-made total-contact bivalved boot used to stabilise and offload t...

Abbreviation Full entry →

Custom-Fabricated Orthosis

Intermediate Technical IVT

An orthotic device constructed from raw materials specifically for an individual patient based on a cast, scan, or measu...

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Diabetic Foot

Intermediate Technical IVT

A clinical syndrome in people with diabetes characterised by peripheral neuropathy, vascular compromise, and susceptibil...

Technical Term Full entry →

Dorsiflexion

Basic Technical IVT

Movement at the ankle joint in which the dorsum of the foot is drawn toward the anterior aspect of the lower leg, decrea...

Technical Term Full entry →

Drop Foot

Basic Technical IVT

A gait abnormality characterised by the inability to lift the front part of the foot during the swing phase of walking,...

Technical Term Full entry →

Dynamic Response Foot

Advanced Technical IVT

A prosthetic or orthotic foot component engineered to store and return energy during the gait cycle, simulating the elas...

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Equinus

Advanced Technical IVT

A fixed or dynamic restriction of ankle dorsiflexion that results in the foot being held in a plantarflexed position dur...

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EVA

Basic Technical IVT

Ethylene vinyl acetate; a closed-cell foam polymer widely used as a cushioning and posting material in orthotic fabricat...

Abbreviation Full entry →

Exoskeletal Construction

Advanced Technical IVT

A method of lower-limb orthosis fabrication in which the structural support is provided by a rigid outer shell, as oppos...

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Extrinsic Posting

Intermediate Technical IVT

A wedge or addition applied to the outer (plantar) surface of an orthotic shell to alter foot and limb alignment, as opp...

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Floor-Reaction Orthosis

Advanced Technical IVT

An AFO variant designed to harness ground reaction forces to assist knee extension during stance phase, typically indica...

Technical Term Full entry →
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