Trulife Matrix Max Trimmable Foot Support

Trulife Matrix Max Trimmable Foot Support Features

• Includes: Hex Key, Tibial Pad (2)
• Material: Carbon Composite
• Heat-mouldable, trimmable and height adjustable anterior shell
• Shrink tubing along the lateral strut protects the shoe against damage
• Indications: Low to high activity patients with unilateral or bilateral drop foot; suitable for partial foot amputations

What to buy with Matrix Max Foot Support

• Trulife Matrix Max Raw AFO Brace
• Trulife Swede-O Ankle Lok
• Tylenol Extra Strength Pain Reliever Caplet

How to use Trulife Matrix?

1. Remove inlay and place Matrix in shoe
2. Place inlay over the top of the Matrix footplate. The inlay can be custom, off the shelf, or supplied with the user’s footwear.
3. Insert foot into the shoe with laces loosened. Fasten straps.
4. Check fit.
   • Perform trial walking. Ensure the knee is not hyper-extended.
   • Check footwear is not distorted
   • Ensure the patient is comfortable and there are no areas of pressure that may lead to sores or ulceration
   5. Make adjustments if needed
   • Footplate: The trimmable footplate (Max 2 and Medial T only) can be trimmed to fit a range of shoe sizes. The other products in the Matrix family can be adjusted by grinding to fit in patient’s shoe. Appropriate extraction and personal protective equipment must be used.
   • Anterior shell (except Medial): Adjust the height (using the hex wrench provided) so that it covers the tibial tubercle but does not impinge on the patella at full extension. The shell can be heat molded for optimal patient comfort. (Note: the heat should not be applied to the carbon composite parts of the product.)
   • Straps: The straps can be trimmed to the required length.
   • Inlay: The inlay can be bonded to the Matrix footplate to secure its position if required.

Trulife Matrix Max Trimmable Foot Support User Manual

Ankle-foot orthosis

• AFOs are orthosis or braces, usually plastic, encompassing the ankle joint and all or part of the foot. AFOs are externally applied, and are intended to control position and motion of the ankle, compensate for weakness, or correct deformities. They control the ankle directly, and can be designed to control the knee joint indirectly as well. AFOs are commonly used in the treatment of disorders that affect muscle function such as stroke, spinal cord injury, muscular dystrophy, cerebral palsy, polio and multiple sclerosis. AFOs can be used to provide support to weak or wasted limbs or to position a limb with tight, contracted muscles into a more normal position. They are also used to immobilize the ankle and lower leg in the presence of arthritis or fracture, and to correct foot drop.

Foot Drop:

• Foot drop describes the inability to raise the front part of the foot due to weakness or paralysis of the muscles that lift the foot. As a result, individuals with foot drop scuff their toes along the ground or bend their knees to lift their foot higher than usual to avoid the scuffing, which causes what is called a “steppage” gait. Foot drop can be unilateral (affecting one foot) or bilateral (affecting both feet). Foot drop is a symptom of an underlying problem and is either temporary or permanent, depending on the cause.
• Causes include: neurodegenerative disorders of the brain that cause muscular problems, such as multiple sclerosis, stroke, and cerebral palsy; motor neuron disorders such as polio, some forms of spinal muscular atrophy and amyotrophic lateral sclerosis (commonly known as Lou Gehrig’s disease); injury to the nerve roots, such as in spinal stenosis; peripheral nerve disorders such as Charcot-Marie-Tooth disease or acquired peripheral neuropathy; local compression or damage to the peroneal nerve as it passes across the fibular bone below the knee; and muscle disorders, such as muscular dystrophy or myositis.