The Journal of Bone and Joint Surgery published recent research on using ankle foot orthoses (hinged and dynamic) in children with cerebral palsy GMFCS Level I.  The results indicated that the orthoses allowed for significant improvements in gait patterns.  There was no difference between the hinged versus dynamic orthoses.  There was no difference seen with brace wear on the Gross Motor Functional Classification levels or on Pediatric Outcomes Data Collection. 

Reference:  Smith, Peter A., Hassani, Sahar, Graf, Adam, Flanagan, Ann, Reiners, Kathryn, Kuo, Ken N., Roh, Jae-Young, Harris, Gerald F.

Brace Evaluation in Children with Diplegic Cerebral Palsy with a Jump Gait Pattern J Bone Joint Surg Am 2009 91: 356-365