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afo

afo

1 9.9
A brace that fits the lower leg and foot to support the ankle and help walking
  • noun
  • /ˈeɪfoʊ/
  • Specialized
translation icon : ortesis
  • The doctor recommended that she wear an AFO to support her ankle while recovering from surgery.
  • ankle-foot orthosis
  • ankle-foot orthosis
  • foot orthosis

And, and you know, I had this AFO, which is a big plastic thing that goes at the back of your calf and slips into your shoe and it has a little hinge so you can pick up your foot.

Examples

  • An ankle-foot orthosis (AFO) is prescribed to constrain and inhibit this abnormal motion.

    Academic text (1995)
  • And, and you know, I had this AFO, which is a big plastic thing that goes at the back of your calf and slips into your shoe and it has a little hinge so you can pick up your foot.

  • After the injury, he found that using an AFO made it much easier to walk without pain.

  • Wearing an AFO helped improve her stability and confidence when moving around.

Synonyms

orthotic
vsafo
  • Specialized
1 5.6

A device you wear to support and align a foot or leg

is a specific support for lower leg and foot that helps walking
ankle brace
vsafo
  • Specialized
3.4

A band worn around the ankle to support and protect it after injury

is longer, supporting both lower leg and foot to aid walking

How Supportive

cast
  • Specialized
84 3.5
afo
  • Specialized
1 9.9
splint
  • Specialized
12 5.3
ankle brace
  • Specialized
3.4

Surface Forms

afo singular
afos plural

Morphology

afo = A + F + O

This is an acronym for 'ankle-foot orthosis', so the meaning is not inferable from the letter sequence alone for most learners.

Etymology

The noun afo comes from the first letters of ankle, foot and orthosis, naming an 'ankle–foot orthosis', so an afo is a brace that supports the ankle and foot and helps you walk.