Which orthosis is described as a Reciprocating Gait orthosis?

• A. THKAFO: Reciprocating Gait orthosis
• B. KO: Swedish knee cage
• C. THKAFO Para Walker
• D. KAFO Palumbo

Answer: (A)

Reciprocating Gait orthosis refers to a trunk-hip-knee-ankle-foot orthosis that uses a cable or linkage system to synchronize the movement of the two legs, so when one leg moves, the opposite leg moves in a coordinated, reciprocal way. This mechanism lets a person with high-level paralysis walk by converting upper-limb and trunk control into a stepping pattern, typically with forearm crutches or a walker for balance. The orthosis that carries this reciprocal gait mechanism is the THKAFO, a thoracic-hip-knee-ankle-foot orthosis, designed to provide support from the trunk down through the feet while enabling the reciprocal movement pattern. The other options don’t describe that reciprocal linkage: a Swedish knee cage locks the knee in extension and doesn’t permit reciprocal stepping; a THKAFO Para Walker is a THKAFO used with a walker for assistive gait but isn’t defined by the reciprocating mechanism itself; and the KAFO Palumbo is a knee-ankle-foot orthosis design without the specific reciprocal gait linkage.