Thrive Orthopedics® F5 Spiral AFO Brace

Thrive Orthopedics® F5 Spiral Ankle Foot Orthosis (AFO) Brace

LIGHTER. FASTER. STRONGER. The #1 Spiral Carbon Fiber AFO with the best 2-year Warranty!

Walk easier and more naturally with the all-new F5 Spiral Carbon Fiber AFO, available now!

The F5 posterior carbon fiber ankle foot orthosis (AFO) is the future of drop foot bracing. Expert craftsmanship, ultra-sleek design, incredible durability, and dynamic "spring-like" carbon fiber properties make the F5 the best choice for those seeking to return to an active lifestyle.

Thanks to your feedback, our F5 posterior spiral design boasts the following best-in-class product features:

✔ ULTRA-LIGHT– Our aerospace-grade carbon fiber stores and releases energy, providing spring-like dynamic feedback to make walking easier and more natural. Common indications include foot drop, achilles tendinosis, foot slap, MS, muscular dystrophy, traumatic brain injury, Charcotmarie-tooth, Guillian-Barre Syndrome, Cerebral Palsy, post-polio syndrome, midfoot and ankle arthrosis, and more

✔ 2-YEAR WARRANTY - Maximum durability and the industry's best 2-year total carbon fiber warranty. The F5 Spiral AFO was independently tested to 1.2 million cycles at the equivalent of 275 lb individual with no signs of breakage!

✔ MAXIMUM SUPPORT - The F5 AFO strikes the perfect balance between lightweight construction and optimal support

✔ MAXIMUM COMFORT – The F5 AFO uses thermal-formed, moisture-wicking padding, making this brace the most comfortable and cool AFO on the market

✔ ZERO CONTACT – Our proprietary posterior lateral strut design avoids contact with the ankle bone that causes many other devices to be uncomfortable or painful

✔ FUTURISTIC DESIGN – The breathtaking laminated finish and intricate design details make the F5 AFO the single most premium product in the industry

✔ 5 CONVENIENT SIZES – People are not one-size-fits-all, and your AFO brace shouldn't be either! The F5 AFO accommodates the full spectrum of sizes and anatomies, from Women’s size 5.5 to Men’s size 16

✔ FAMILY OWNED - Thrive Orthopedics is a family-owned, independent business operating out of Carmel, Indiana. We treat every customer like a member of the Thrive family

How Does the F5 Spiral AFO Help?

✔ Lightweight, Dynamic Support - The F5 AFO is more than just a foot drop brace. Leveraging ultra-light, aerospace-grade carbon fiber, the F5 is one of the lightest yet most supportive devices available in the industry today. This dynamic control allows for improved support, off-loading, and balance which helps you walk more naturally

✔ Dorsiflexion Assist - People suffering from drop foot lose some or all of their ability to dorsiflex, their ability to raise their foot upwards towards their shin. Because of this, carbon fiber AFOs are often referred to as foot drop braces. The F5 AFO not only provides control and support for users with foot drop, but the contoured footplate design and carbon fiber material properties actually store and release energy throughout the gait cycle to provide dorsiflexion assistance and a spring-like effect for users with foot drop

✔ Flexibility for Plantar Flexion - The F5 Spiral AFO has a sleek, flexible design, optimal for active users who are not experiencing plantar flexor weakness (ability to push foot downwards) or mild to moderate knee instability (see F3 AFO for those conditions). The F5  provides a flexible, passive limitation on plantar flexion which promotes a more natural and dynamic gait with high energy return.

✔ Muscle Usage & Posture - Many practitioners and clinical experts cite extensive benefits of the utilization of dynamic carbon fiber ankle foot orthoses (like the F5) over more restrictive and cumbersome plastic devices often prescribed to those suffering from foot drop. According to Randy Stevens, BOCPD, CFO, “The energy restoring aspect of carbon AFOs increases range of motion in the knee and hip, and leads to less abducted gait patterns. More muscles are firing, so we’re not contributing to weakening of the gastrocs. Oftentimes a more normal gait brings with it a more erect posture, as well.”

✔ Incredible Comfort - Our posterior lateral strut design allows the brace to enter your shoe on the outside of your foot, behind the ankle bone, creating a zero contact entry point and eliminating the painful rubbing and chaffing that many users experience with other AFOs on the market. Our moisture-wicking padding is dry and breathable and also washable and replaceable. 

✔ Designed With You in Mind - If you have ever had a bad experience in the healthcare system, you know the only way to get what you deserve is to advocate for yourself. With insurances and healthcare networks trying to maximize profit by prescribing cheap plastic devices or one-size-fits-all braces that just don't fit, we set out to design a product that we would be proud to give to a member of own family. The F5 AFO is the most premium and functional device on the market - don't settle for anything less. 

Indication & Fitting Guide

Common Indications: foot drop, foot slap, and other pathologies related to ambulatory weakness associated with conditions such as MS, muscular dystrophy, traumatic brain injuries, Charcot-Marie-Tooth, Gullain-Barre syndrome, achilles tendinosis, post polio syndrome, stroke, cerebral palsy, mid-foot and ankle arthrosis, or myelomeningocele. 

Do not use this product if: User weight exceeds 299 lbs, user has ulcers on or near AFO contact area, user has moderate or severe edema, user has moderate to severe foot deformities, user has severe ankle instability, user has plantarflexion contracture, user has severe fixed ankle valgus or varus conditions, user has non-correctable triplanar instability, user engages in high impact sports or activities, user has material allergies, user has severe spasticity.

Fitting Tips: 

✔ Utilize appropriate footwear: Our F-series AFOs can be worn with a wide variety of shoes but we typically recommend comfortable, lace-up sneakers with a slightly raised heel height such as Brooks, New Balance, and Sketchers. In most cases, our F-Series AFOs will work perfectly with your current shoe size but if you find yourself needing extra room, you may consider moving up 1/2 a shoe size. 

✔ Measure your current insole: Our F-Series AFOs are intended to be used inside of your shoe, under your current insole. To ensure that you order the appropriate size, measure your current insole and compare the length to the sizing chart above and choose the size that is closest but not significantly larger than the length of your current insole. These devices can only be trimmed by certified medical professionals with appropriate tools and safety equipment to accommodate modifications. 

✔ The straps can be trimmed with scissors: If the strap is too long, remove the Thrive-branded alligator tab from the strap (this is velcro'd on - not sewn on). Trim the strap to the desired length and reattach the alligator tab for a secure fit.