During a trial wear period for a newly fabricated orthosis, how long should the wear time be to educate the client and check for problems?

• A. 5-10 mins
• B. 20-30 mins
• C. 1-2 hours
• D. 24 hours

Answer: (B)

The key idea is to balance safety with enough exposure to spot problems and teach use. A 20–30 minute trial wear lets you see how the orthosis fits, whether there are pressure points or redness, how the client tolerates wearing it, and how well they can don and doff with supervision. It’s long enough to detect early tissue irritation or alignment issues but short enough to prevent skin breakdown if something is uncomfortable or ill-fitting. If everything looks and feels good, you can gradually increase wear time in subsequent sessions while continuing to monitor skin integrity, fit, and function.