Subjective / Objective Assessment

The patient assessment is the most crucial part of the whole process. The Orthotist must conduct both a subjective and objective examination of the patient.
The subjective examination involves questioning the patient to obtain information about his / her condition, including the main complaint, the way they got hurt, the present symptoms, effects of previous treatment, possible reasons for not doing any orthosis, future rehabilitative and patient goals, patient concerns / questions.
This gives the Orthotist an understanding of how the patient sees his / her problem. It also makes the Orthotist and patient feel at ease.
The objective assessment involves a series of tests to evaluate the neurological and musculoskeletal status of the patient. These includes gait assessment, range of motion, muscle strength, sensation, edema, etc. A quick examination of other non affected parts if the body will allow a thorough examination of the specific area (s) of complaint. A detailed examination of the entire body is not necessary and is time consuming.

The following factors should be evaluated as part of the patient assessment.
1/ Medical History                 7/ Physical Examination
2/ Type of work                     mental status
3/ Living situation                     muscular power
4/ Patient motivation                 joint ROM / stability / deformity
5/ Patient expectation             sensation / pain / proprioception
6/ Short and long term goals             volume fluctuations
gait assessment