What's News

Polyethylene liners! We are so pleased with the results of the sleek, flexible, translucent polyethylene (PE) liners in our JumpStart products that we have adapted them for custom DAFO braces as well. The reduced bulk means greater ease of fit. They also offer a slight increase in alignment support to the foot while maintaining comfort and flexibility. That soft flexibility means someone with limited hand function can still don it easily. The FlexiSport and the Tami2 now come standard with PE liners. The SoftyTM liner (white foam) remains available as an option. All of the DAFO Softy braces come standard with Softy liners and now have the PE liner as an option. When you choose the PE liner, the outer frame trimlines are lower and stop at the sulcus, streamlining the brace for easier fit into shoes and adding toe shelf flexibility. If instead you want the outer frame toe shelf to extend all the way to the end of the brace, be sure to note this in the Special Instructions box of the order form.

The order of the day Our order forms recently received a major overhaul as a result of some changes in options and an effort to improve our information. We hope you find them easier to use. Products are grouped into Fast Fit, DAFO, Specialty Items and Accessories and Supplies. For a lighter, more portable order form set, the back sides of the order forms have been removed. If you need to include more clarifying information than will fit in the Special Instructions box, feel free to attach another sheet of paper. Clarifying photos are especially helpful. The new order forms reflect several design changes as well. For more about the new forms, see our website. As always, the forms are available (1) in a book of master copies, (2) on our website as PDF files you can print out and write on, and (3) on the web as eForms you can fill out at your computer and print out to send with your cast (or if you’re ordering Fast Fit items, just fill out, save and email). We hope that ordering is easier with the new forms. If you have comments, please tell Customer Service (for Fast FitTM items) or Technical Support (for DAFO items). Both groups are available at 800/848-7332.

DAFO 5 Softy The DAFO 5 was the first brace to feature a Softy liner. At that time, we renamed the brace (when it has a Softy liner) to be DAFO 5.5 Softy. Since, with our other products, we have kept the product name/number and simply added “Softy,” we have renamed the DAFO 5.5 Softy to be the DAFO 5 Softy. Simplify, simplify!

New web content We’ve made some improvements to www.cascadedafo.com: changed some navigation and updated content to help you get what you need faster. Now the latest product information sheets, new order forms, eForms and helpful resources are at your fingertips. Some topics are split into two categories—Fast Fit and Custom DAFOs—to better organize information. We now have a new Technical Support area with valuable instructions, including a “Casting for DAFOs” video. We’ve added a Fitting and Adjusting section (in Practitioner Resources → Custom DAFOs → Fitting and Adjusting) that features helpful information for optimizing your brace styles easily and effectively. Bigger, more detailed samples of DAFO trim patterns are now available (in Our Products → Colors and Trims) for kids and parents to view and choose together. Use our Comments and Requests form to give us feedback about how we’re doing and to request printed versions of our documents. Check back often, as we are striving to continually improve our website to give you the information you need now.

Tami2 and FlexiSport—new *and* improved! We have refined the two newest custom DAFO products in our line. On the Tami2, when you request the dorsi-assist hinge, the Tamarack Flexure JointsTM are now available in 95 durometer resistance (the stiffest) as well as 85 and the standard 75. Both the Tami2 and the FlexiSport now come standard with the PE liner and with lower-profile trimlines. The Softy liner remains an option. New informational flyers on the Tami2 and the FlexiSport are available. If you’d like them, please visit our website or ask Customer Service (800/848-7332).

The latest on Fast Fit: price lists, new size, new info pieces We now have “Fast Fit Direct” price lists! These show the medical billing codes and prices for our Fast Fit shoe inserts, all the JumpStart products, JumpStart add-ons and SmartKnit socks. They are available from Customer Service, customerservice@dafo.com or 800/848-7332. A Fast Fit product selection guide and a Fast Fit brochure are also available from Customer Service. Extensive testing and development have allowed us to add a new size to the JumpStart line. All JumpStart products are now available in size 7.75.

New Case Study You’ll find a new DAFO physical therapy case study on our website. Our 8th case study features Niles, who has cerebral palsy and hemiplegia (right). His solution is a DAFO 2. Please take a look!