Custom Crow Boots
A CROW boot is a custom-made orthoses aimed towards controlling the foot/ankle and offloading pressure. It may be helpful to think of it as an intimately fitting, semi-removable cast for your foot and ankle which you can walk in. CROW stands for Charcot Restraint Orthotic Walker.
Westcoast Brace & Limb provides assessments and custom CROW boot services at all of our clinic locations.
Doctors typically prescribe CROW boots to patients living with advanced diabetes and suffering from Charcot foot. Orthotists at Westcoast Brace & Limb are experts in the orthotic management of diabetes and participating in multidisciplinary care.
What is Charcot Foot?
Patients with more advanced diabetes may lose sensation in their lower extremities. They may also undergo some metabolic / structural changes in the lower limb. Due to the loss of this protective sensation and weakening of the structures, the bones of the foot may fracture and the shape of the foot may collapse.
Charcot’s foot is a severe condition.
Charcot’s foot is often identified when a patient’s foot that is red colored, swollen, warm to the touch yet not painful for the patient because they cannot feel it.
The management of Charcot Foot is important to our Orthotists. By maintaining one’s foot shape, we can prevent permanent deformity, pressure issues, and possible amputation. As a result, our services often alter the course of a patient’s life for the better.
A total contact cast (TCC) is generally the initial management . Once the Charcot’s foot has settled down to a state which is lower risk (as determined in collaboration with podiatrist/GP/ rheumatologist), transition to a CROW boot will occur.
How Does a CROW Boot Work?
The primary objective of a CROW boot is to offload pressure from the foot, while maintaining the structures
The boot provides total contact over the shin, calf, ankle and foot. The design of this conservative solution aims to maximize healing, as opposed to maximizing mobility.
The design consists of two core shells, the back section with a sole in the bottom, and the front which covers the front of the leg. Padding increases comfort on the inside, and the outside is very rigid. Straps bind the two pieces together.
A CROW is fabricated by casting the patient in an appropriate foot position to form a mold to base the boot on. The patient then has a boot that will hold their foot into a locked position. Subsequently, this lowers the risk of re-injury and deformity. A CROW boot may facilitate the healing of diabetic ulcers.
Central Fabrication Services for CROW Boot
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