AFO (Ankle-Foot Orthosis) Module

The most labour-intensive steps in AFO fabrication are the casting session, hand-correcting the positive model and grinding the trimline. Holding the foot in a neutral position matters enough that casting is often a two-person job, and with spastic patients it may have to be repeated. Correcting an ill-fitting orthosis means running the whole chain again.

This module aims to replace the plaster chain with a scan-based line: designing repeatedly from one scan, revising without a new casting session, and setting the trimline on screen instead of at the grinder. The desktop CAD engine and steps are ready, with clinical validation underway in pilot clinics.

The flow is designed around four steps. The leg and foot scan is imported, the foot aligned to a neutral position and unneeded regions cropped. A shell is then derived from the surface, with thickness adjustable per region — the ankle flexes with every step while the heel section has to stay rigid.

In the third step edges are smoothed and strap slots are cut. In the fourth the clinician approves the trimline, the shell thickness and the stiffness distribution — a step we are not removing; it sits at the centre of the module. The file is exported after that approval.

On the output side, Clonify supports both manufacturing routes: a direct 3D-printable shell file (STL/OBJ) and a CNC positive milling mold (mold step) for thermoforming workshops. Whether a clinic prints AFOs directly with additive manufacturing or modernizes its vacuum thermoforming line using CNC milled molds, it uses the same parametric workflow.

On the measurement side, scan-derived values such as foot length, ankle circumference, and calf circumference are saved in the case file, enabling objective revision tracking. Field validation is progressing with pilot partner clinics.