Stance-Control Orthosis

A class of knee-ankle-foot orthoses that lock the knee during the stance (weight-bearing) phase of gait to prevent buckling, but unlock it during the swing phase to allow natural knee flexion. Stance-control devices detect gait phase through joint-angle sensors, ground-reaction-force sensors, or mechanical triggers under the foot, and range from fully mechanical brakes (e.g., Ottobock C-Brace, Becker UTX) to powered robotic exoskeletons. Compared to static KAFOs, they reduce compensatory gait, metabolic effort, and falls, but are heavier and substantially more expensive.