Brace types
Braces with hooks
The original Ross Fraser® brace is made out of a 3-4 centimeter and approximately 0.3 mm thin spring wire made out of stainless steel.
It's formed to the specific toenail by a foot therapist using special bending pliers.
The spring wire is fitted around the left and the right edge of the nail, and the sore side(s) of the toenail is lifted up and outwards by the applied tension. Among other things, the foot therapist has to consider:
- The thickness of the spring wire
- Robust or thin nails - The placement of the omega-loop
- Ingrown on one side or on both sides - The tension of the wire
- Heavily curved or medium curved - The shape of the hook
- To the specific curl of the nail-edge
In the first clip to the right, you can see a 3D model of a Ross Fraser® brace made for the big toe on a right foot that has become ingrown on the left side of the toe.
In the second you can see various Ross Fraser® braces and tools, and in the third you can watch the creation of a Ross Fraser® brace.
For a trained foot therapist the task of creating and fitting a new Ross Fraser® brace is a 5 minute-job. Add to that cleansing, cutting etc. and the whole procedure takes about 15 minutes, and it typically relives the pain in a matter of days - if not immediately.
The brace needs to be adjusted every second month - a procedure that takes about 10 minutes.
| + | Low material cost - Less than 0.1 € per brace Highly adjustable to the specific need Reusable |
| - | Not suited for inflamed toes Requires more expertise than other braces |
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The 3TO®-Spange brace is made by the same company that produces the PODOfix® and the COMBIped® braces.
The 3TO®-Spange brace is made out of a two parts spring wire made out of stainless steel.
The foot therapist will divide the main part into two, and make a small hook at the end of each to be fitted under the nail edge.
The two separated parts are then combined using the last part that also serves as a fastener to achieve the tension.
The excess wires are then removed, and the brace is sealed with an adhesive compound.
The 3TO®-Spange brace comes in a set including braces, pliers, adhesive material etc.
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The ORA® Nagelspange brace is made out of 2 pieces of spring wire (stainless steel).
According to Klaus Grünewald, page 84 (see Studies page 2 - Literature) the ORA® Nagelspange brace is both user friendly, and combines the omega-loop of the Ross Fraser® brace with the adjustability of the VHO-Osthold® brace.
When the therapist has fitted the 2 hooks and adjusted the tension, the two parts are drawn together, combined by lacing up the parts.
After that, the excess wire is removed, and the brace is sealed with an adhesive compound.
Glued braces
This treatment is, to my knowledge, used in both France and Spain, but it’s relatively new in Denmark; so it's ”The new kid on the block”.
The treatment involves the same type of composite resin that the dentists use to fill a cavity.
The treatment goes like this:
- The nail and the cuticle are cleaned
- An adhesive material is put on the bottom part of the nail
- A layer of composite resin is spread on top of the adhesive material
- The side of the nail is lifted a bit while the composite resin is hardened with the use of ultraviolet light
- The top-surface of the composite resin is removed with a file
The hard structure of the composite resin will ensure that the flat shape of the nail stays intact while the nail grows out.
If needed, the treatment can be repeated after approximately 5 months.
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The B/S®-Spange brace is made of fibre glass strengthened Duroplast. It is glued across the width of the nail and works like a leaf spring by lifting up the side of the nail edges.
The B/S®-Spange braces all come in 6 sizes from 14-24 mm. (In increments of 2 mm), and they come in 3 different forms:
- The B/S®-Spange Classic
The brace is attached to the nail with an applicator - The B/S®-Spange Quick
The brace is attached on the nail using the fingers and a Quick Dry-Activator - The B/S®-Spange High-Form
The brace is attached on the nail with an applicator
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The PODOfix® brace is made out of a plastic compound with a steel loop on top.
The brace is glued to the surface of the nail and the lifting tension is achieved by tightening the steel loop.
The excess wire is then removed and sealed with the included PediGel.
The PODOfix® brace comes in a set including braces of four different widths (Mini/12mm, small/16mm, medium/19mm and large/22mm), pliers, PediGel etc.
Combined braces
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The COMBIped® brace is made out of a thin spring wire that is attached to a small plastic pad with a retaining pin on top.
The lifting power of the brace can be adjusted by choosing a thicker or thinner brace (Soft, medium or hard), and by bending the spring wire before attaching it.
The foot therapist will first adjust the length of the spring wire to fit it to the specific nail.
Then, a small hook is made in the wire. This hook is then placed under the nail edge on the score side of the toe, and after testing the tension of the wire, the pad is glued to the surface of the nail.
Finally, the retaining pin on the pad is pinched off and made smooth with a file.
Other braces
You can find a more comprehensive list of some of the different type of braces in the book: Theorie der medizinischen Fußbehandlung by Klaus Grünewald. The book is mentioned under "Studies".
