Devices for foot-drop: Qualitative exploration of functional electrical stimulation, ankle-foot orthoses, foot-up braces, and footwear for foot-drop

Background Foot-drop impacts negatively on ability to walk and quality of life. Evidence indicates that there are benefits and drawbacks to commonly used orthotic devices: ankle foot orthoses (AFOs) and functional electrical stimulation (FES). Further exploration is needed of the foot-up brace and newly-developed ‘footwear for foot-drop.’ Objective This study explored users’ perspectives on four devices that support foot-drop. Method Secondary analysis was conducted of semi-structured qualitative interview data ( n = 18) collected during a prototyping process relating to new ‘footwear for foot-drop.’ Interpretative Phenomenological Analysis explored people’s experiences of different orthotic devices. Participants (Female n = 12; Male n = 6) had foot-drop due to multiple sclerosis (MS) ( n = 14), Guillain-Barre syndrome ( n = 1), cerebral palsy ( n = 1), chronic stroke ( n = 1) or post spinal surgery ( n = 1). Results Positive and negative experiences were reported for the functionality and design features of each device. Decision-making about device use was affected by foot-drop severity, personal preferences and context of use. Ease of use, comfort and appearance of devices were valued by participants. Conclusions Enhanced insights into different device options will support more informed, person-centred decision-making for device-users and prescribers. This may reduce device abandonment, improving experiences and outcomes. Study findings support the need for further research into the foot-up brace and ‘footwear for foot-drop.’