From the time he could walk (around 9 months), Owen walked on his toes. We brought it up over and over again to doctor after doctor and everyone kept telling us he would outgrow it. "It's just a habit," they would say. Well here we are knocking on 4 years old and Owen still walks on his toes. We also notice his feet have become pretty seriously pronated (his inside ankles face the floor) and he has become knock-kneed. It basically looks like an inverted V from his knees to his ankles....all because of toe walking. We recently seeked the expertise of an orthopedic who prescribed AFOs (Ankle-Foot Orthoses). He will begin wearing the braces after an appointment at our local Hanger medical supply store where they have to make a cast of his legs and send away for his specially fitted braces. We wanted to wait until spring because they don't fit very easily under pants. He will also have to wear velcro, Extra Wide shoes for the next several months in order for the AFO to fit inside the shoe. So that's Owen's story. You would think that would be my only experience with leg braces right? You would think!
Evan's Story
From the time Evan was born, he had bowed legs. We've called him Cowboy for as long as I can remember making jokes like, "Did you just come in on your horse, Cowboy". He walked very early around 9 1/2 months and at about 1 year I noticed his bowed legs getting even worse. His right foot especially was beginning to turn inward and he was walking on the outsides of his feet. I took Evan for his first orthopedic visit today and what d'ya know, after X-rays....Blount's braces was the prescription. Now we have to watch his growth plate and rate of bone growth in his tibia for the next 6 months and go back for more X-rays at the end of the 6 month window to measure growth. His appointment with Hanger medical supply is on the same day as Owen's because they also have to make casts of his legs and order his specially fitted braces.
In short, it looks as though both of my boys will be in leg braces through summer. Evan's, blount braces will go all the way up past his knees and will, most likely, have shoes attached to the bottoms. Owen's less dramatic, but still quite noticeable braces will only go up to mid calf but we will be making a trip to Stride Rite soon to try and find extra wide velcro shoes to accomodate the braces.
So, there you have it....the most recent in my childrens' long string of medical anomalies. Braces here we come! Thankfully, so far, both of them have decent teeth so hopefully these will be the only braces they ever wear!
With Joe's AFO's we found the best to be skater shoes like Airwalks because they are low and go under the bolts on the side.
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