Static Alignment
The positional relationship of prosthetic components to one another and to the body, established at the bench before any dynamic weight-bearing gait assessment.
Full Definition
Static alignment is the first stage of prosthetic alignment, performed with the patient standing but not yet walking, to set the baseline spatial orientation of the socket, pylon, and foot (or knee and foot in transfemoral fitting). It establishes plumb-line relationships, socket flexion and adduction angles, and initial foot progression angle. Editors frequently encounter both 'static alignment' and 'dynamic alignment' in fitting notes; the two must not be conflated, as they represent sequential, distinct clinical steps. Both terms are hyphenated only when used as compound modifiers preceding a noun.
Usage
Usage note: Distinguish carefully from 'bench alignment' (pre-patient, off-limb) and 'dynamic alignment' (assessed during gait). Do not hyphenate as a standalone noun phrase.
In Context
- "Static alignment was completed with the patient standing on a level surface before gait training commenced." — Prosthetic fitting note
- "The report incorrectly used 'bench alignment' when it should have specified 'static alignment,' as the patient was already weight-bearing." — QA editorial review