Alfie Scott (née Wright) (pictured in the park with her granddaughter) says she is ‘truly living’ again after being provided with a microprocessor knee-ankle-foot orthosis (MPKAFO) called Tectus.

The 52-year-old from Basingstoke in Hampshire took part in a pilot study, which combined objective measures and user feedback to demonstrate that Tectus leads to significant improvements in wearers’ mobility and quality of life, compared to traditional KAFO devices.

She recalls: ‘When I first tried Tectus, it was nothing short of revolutionary. Suddenly, I regained my freedom – it was the best feeling in the world. On the very first day, I found myself crying in the clinic because I hadn’t experienced that kind of mobility in 25 years. I was walking like I used to, and it was incredible. 

‘With my new bionic leg, there’s nothing I can’t do. I can tackle slopes, walk on grass, navigate cobblestones, and manage stairs with ease – activities that were impossible for me before.’

Alfie adds: ‘Before wearing it, I was merely existing, but now I’m truly living. The improvements to my physical health have also boosted my mental health tenfold.’ 

Increasing people’s confidence and safety

Tectus helps wearers with spinal injuries with lower limb paralysis, neurological conditions with resultant muscle weakness and orthopaedic injuries with resultant nerve damage, among other conditions. It’s designed for adolescents and adults.

Tectus was developed by Blatchford, a company that makes advanced prosthetic and orthotic devices. The pilot findings showed that people fitted with the device can begin to walk more quickly and naturally, and more comfortably for longer distances, with increased confidence and safety.

‘With Tectus, we’ve applied our world-leading prosthetic technology to create an intelligent orthosis that can adapt to a broad range of demands and activities. This allows our patients to engage more with daily life – for longer periods, at a faster pace, and with less pain’ [Dominic Atta, orthotist]

50,000 people in UK are affected by paralysis

It is estimated that about 50,000 people in the UK are affected by paralysis, with many relying on lower limb orthoses such as KAFOs. Tectus was designed to address the need for a more intelligent, lightweight and cost-effective orthosis that supports people seeking to regain their mobility. 

Tectus mimics the natural function of the knee joint. Custom-fitted to a KAFO, Tectus features an advanced system of springs, hydraulics and sensors that enable wearers to achieve a more natural gait cycle than with any other microprocessor-controlled KAFO. Central to this biomimicry is the unique ‘spring assist’ feature, which uses an adjustable control to ensure full leg extension at the optimal moment, before the heel hits the ground, supporting a smoother walking experience and aiding limb symmetry, so that the affected leg behaves very similarly to the unaffected limb.

People’s quality of life can be ‘transformed’

Dominic Atta, Blatchford’s principal orthotist said: ‘The issue with traditional KAFOs is that, while they can increase safety and improve function, they can’t replicate normal walking. They also struggle to manage terrain beyond flat ground, and most stance control KAFOs still only operate in a locked or unlocked state.

‘With Tectus, we’ve applied our world-leading prosthetic technology to create an intelligent orthosis that can adapt to a broad range of demands and activities. This allows our patients to engage more with daily life – for longer periods, at a faster pace, and with less pain.’

Dominic added: ‘The key enabler of this is the hydraulic and spring-assisted knee joint which, unlike traditional KAFOs, can transition smoothly between fully locked and unlocked states and bend under control. This allows for a fluidity in walking that a locked KAFO simply cannot achieve.

‘Our pilot study and the patients involved have demonstrated just how well Tectus replicates a natural gait and improves function, and we’re delighted to officially make this life-changing technology available to anyone wanting to regain their mobility and transform their quality of life.’

‘With my new bionic leg, there’s nothing I can’t do. I can tackle slopes, walk on grass, navigate cobblestones, and manage stairs with ease – activities that were impossible for me before’ [user Alfie Wright]

More about Tectus

Tectus is a slim, lightweight intelligent orthosis which weighs 660g, making it lighter than other MPKAFOs. In the pilot, the resulting increase in comfort, and reduction in muscle fatigue and energy expenditure, led to a 20 per cent improvement in the completion rate of a series of tasks, including the L Test of Functional Mobility and the 4-square test.

The device offers wearers five activity modes, offering a seamless switch from walking to sitting. At the touch of a button, wearers can adjust their walking speed, and even transition to ascending or descending stairs. With Tectus, this can also be done on the module itself, although a separate remote control is an option. Battery status, step count, and alerts are easily visible, and the device also offers an 18-hour battery life that recharges fully in just two hours and is rated IP54 water resistant.

The pilot users underwent various gait analyses and walking tests at the company’s clinic in Basingstoke, as well as a quality-of-life assessment, using the EQ-5D-5L instrument. Participants reported a 42 per cent improvement in mobility and a 40 per cent improvement in health-related quality of life compared to their previous orthotic devices. The tests also showed that Tectus improved their ability to walk and step by 20 per cent, with participants experiencing greater stamina, increased speed and less pain.

For more information, visit: https://www.blatchfordmobility.com/en-gb/tectus/#form