Presenter: John W. Michael, Clinician and prosthetist/orthotist educator from the USA, will present an introductory session for practising prosthetists, orthotists and technicians on current use of stance control orthoses.

An orthotist from Little Rock, Arkansas stunned the world in 2002 by introducing Horton’s Stance Control Orthotic Knee Joint , a component that automatically engages and disengages a lock against flexion, simultaneously offering the patient stance phase security and swing phase toe clearance. Since that time, additional stance control systems have become available. This presentation will review key articles depicting the evolution of expert thinking in this area, and highlight the various approaches currently being investigated. Preliminary studies suggest that permitting knee flexion during swing phase is likely to substantially reduce the energy cost of ambulation for the users.