Featured Technology: Hanger Clinic ExoSym™ (Formerly IDEO)

October 30, 2019
Hanger Clinic

If you’ve experienced a severe lower limb injury, perhaps even limb salvage surgery, you may be wondering if you’ll ever get your life back. You may have tried traditional ankle-foot orthoses (AFOs) but still experienced limited movement or pain. You may have even considered amputation, and you’re not alone.

The good news is there is a solution that may help you minimize pain and achieve an active lifestyle, without having to undergo amputation. The ExoSym™ is a hybrid prosthetic-orthotic device that is custom-made to your individual needs and goals with optimal alignment, positioning, off‐loading, and control. It was developed as a way to help active-duty and retired service members avoid amputation. Now available to civilians, the ExoSym helps restore mobility to people across the world with limb salvage injuries as well as ankle fusions, partial-foot amputations, fractures, tarsal coalitions, and other lower extremity dysfunctions.

The ExoSym Care Program

The ExoSym Care Program takes place exclusively at a specially-designed facility in Gig Harbor, WA, which ensures the best possible outcomes for each person we serve. It starts with a clinical evaluation and fitting process, and progresses with an intense training regimen with ongoing adjustments, which helps us ensure optimal fit and that each individual is trained to properly use it for both everyday and intense physical activities.

Manufacturer: Hanger Clinic


Request an ExoSym Evaluation

For more details about the ExoSym Care Program, including the paperwork needed to start the evaluation process, provide your details below.


I’ve been able to do so many things since I got [my ExoSym devices], and what a joy it is. But what I haven’t done is even more important—I haven’t fallen down, and I haven’t looked at my future as one slow slide into being in a wheelchair again. And I don’t hurt anymore—the relief is amazing. It’s hard to believe that being pain-free is going to be my new normal.

Nancy G., Hanger Clinic Patient

What is the ExoSym?

The ExoSym is a hybrid prosthetic-orthotic device that is custom-made to your individual needs and goals and uses optimal alignment, positioning, off‐loading, and control to help restore mobility. It is a dynamic brace, sometimes called a dynamic exoskeleton, that is a lighter, stronger evolution of the IDEO (Intrepid Dynamic Exoskeletal Orthosis).

Will I need to wear the ExoSym permanently?

Depending on your situation, you may be required to wear the device all the time (much like a prosthesis), or you may be able to progress to part-time usage for task-specific activities.

Will I need to travel to Gig Harbor, WA for an evaluation?

The first step is a consult via email or phone call. If ExoSym is determined to be a viable option, then yes, you will need to travel to Gig Harbor for all appointments.

Why can’t I get the ExoSym at my local Hanger Clinic?

Our Gig Harbor facility was specifically designed around the ExoSym Care Program to ensure the best possible outcomes for each person we serve. Even with similar injuries, each person must be carefully evaluated to determine the exact characteristics of strut resistance, ankle positioning, and triplanar control.

What happens during the ExoSym evaluation?

To make sure you are a good candidate for the device, you will be evaluated using a variety of tests and measures to determine the right degree of alignment and off‐loading for the specific injury and dysfunction.

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