About
We believe better mobility gives all children a wider range of experiences, more success in their activities, and ultimately, more control over their lives.
What makes a DAFO® unique?
The intimate contact of a thin, flexible, contoured brace, wrapping around the entire foot, provides better sensation and alignment than a typical rigid ankle foot orthosis (AFO).
Children learn movement by moving. Rather than bracing heavily, we want the foot and ankle to experience as much useful movement as possible. A child needs to explore foot and ankle position in a guided range—like guardrails on a highway, with the freedom to move ahead but with protection from danger.
That's why we believe in creating orthoses with as much flexibility as possible along the planes where a child has good control, providing support only where needed.
The team approach
The original Dynamic Ankle Foot Orthosis (DAFO®) was the direct result of the collaboration between an orthotist and a physical therapist, and this teamwork approach remains at the core of our bracing philosophy.
When all the members of a patient's support team—patient, parents, therapist, caregiver, orthotist, doctor—communicate and coordinate, the result will be a more successful outcome for the patient. This collective approach can be accomplished in person, or through phone calls and emails. By sharing ideas, goals, and real-life factors, the team will give their patient the best possible bracing solution.
Fine-tuning for a perfect fit
Every patient is unique, and so are their bracing plans. Each of our brace styles can be ordered with various customizations (we refer to these as "optimizations"). We offer more than 70 options for maximizing DAFO fit and function in our Optimization Index, and most of them are free of charge. Our knowledgeable customer support team is available to help you precisely design the best possible brace for each patient.
Compliance matters
It doesn't matter how good the brace is if the patient won't wear it. If it's too clunky, too heavy, uncomfortable or unattractive, compliance becomes an issue. The features that make DAFOs different also make them easier to wear. They're lighter, more flexible, more comfortable, and fit better in shoes than traditional AFOs. Not only that, they look cool! Patients can use our online Creation Station design tool to try out transfer patterns, strap, and padding colors on a virtual DAFO. Letting them participate in the design process can help get young patients invested in wearing their braces.
Full 90-day warranty
Our top priority is improving the mobility and meeting the physical therapy goals of our DAFO-wearers, and we don't stop until the fit is right. To that end, we offer the best warranty in the industry.
Supporting your success
Our commitment goes beyond making exceptional products. We're here to help you get the best solution for your patient, every time. Our experienced customer support team is just a phone call or email away. And we offer educational resources such as free online ABC-approved courses and in-service materials for you to provide practical education to colleagues and referral sources.
While you're here, explore some of our many resources for patients, parents, and practitioners:
Please note: "DAFO" is a registered trademark owned by Cascade Dafo, Inc. Whenever using this term, please indicate the registration status as DAFO®.