Plagiocephaly

Plagiocephaly, also known as “flat head syndrome”, is a cranial deformation characterized by an asymmetrical flattening at the back or on one side of the head.

Plagiocephaly is a term used exclusively for babies since the bone plates which make up their skull are soft with gaps between them to accommodate the very rapid growth of the brain at this age. It is precisely because their skulls are so malleable that this deformation can occur in babies.

Plagiocephaly responds well to treatment, especially when it is detected at an early stage.

Wearing a corrective orthopedic helmet is the therapeutic option for cases of severe deformation if repositioning techniques fail to resolve the condition.

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Reasons to choose PROTEOR

25 years ago, PROTEOR was the first to offer a helmet remodelling therapy for plagiocephaly. Every year, the PROTEOR group produces more than 350 cranial correction helmets.

Drawing from this experience, PROTEOR has innovated by offering an improved plagiocephaly treatment solution which satisfies the three key criteria identified by parent for a cranial correction orthosis: good cranial support-good fit, a comfortable helmet and support for parents.

After two years of research and development work in collaboration with specialized medical teams, the Kinoo solution is now available.

PROTEOR is keen to support parents optimally in caring for their baby and to this end has developed a number of resources:

  • A Kinoo mobile app, available to download free from the Apple Store or from Google Play. It lets parents monitor how the deformation of their baby’s head changes at each visit to the PROTEOR orthotist and is a source of advice and information, available at any time, about plagiocephaly and the Kinoo helmet.
  • A parent guide to support the family during the first few days of wearing the Kinoo helmet
  • A magazine.

In order to guarantee the quality of the product, the expertise of the personnel involved and the consistency of the manufacturing process, the Kinoo helmet is only available from our Expert Centers for Orthopedics.

Additional Expert Centers will open gradually.

The Kinoo solution is the fruit of two years of R&D carried out by a multidisciplinary team that included PROTEOR engineers and orthotists, physicians specialising in plagiocephaly, a physiotherapist and parents.

The final solution is based on the results of a survey, conducted in 2019, of 37 families who had chosen the PROTEOR helmet therapy option during the previous three years.

The parents surveyed identified three criteria that had a significant impact on the success of the cranial correction orthosis for their baby:

  • Good cranial support and a good fit (neither too big, nor too small)
  • Comfort of the helmet (with regard to skin irritation, sweating and weight)
  • Support for parents (explanations, follow-up, etc.)

PROTEOR considered these comments and observations when redesigning the various stages involved in producing and providing cranial orthoses.

The Kinoo solution was finalized after 2,600 hours of R&D and more than 150 tests on helmets.

The PROTEOR team of R&D engineers developed a digital solution for orthotists that facilitates and improves the design of Kinoor cranial correction helmets.

On a daily basis, PROTEOR orthotists with expertise in plagiocephaly use:

  • Peel3D Scanner, to create a 3D image of the baby’s head quickly, accurately and, most importantly, with zero risk to health.
  • Kinoo Soft, PROTEOR software developed specifically for designing helmets based on a parametric model with zero mesh deformation to deliver ultra-high levels of precision
  • 3D printing, efficient helmet manufacture on our high-spec 3D printer

Equipment-based solution

Kinoo solution

The plagiocephaly helmet is a fully customized orthopedic device.

It remodels the shape of the baby’s head by changing the distribution of the pressure applied to the skull when the baby lies on its back. It guides the growth of the skull by pressing very gently on the zones that require repositioning and by encouraging growth in the zones that need to develop via voids within the helmet. Only a physician can confirm to the parents that the baby needs a helmet and can prescribe this orthosis.

The corrective helmet therapy for plagiocephaly can only be used on babies from 3 to 10 months old.

The approach proposed by PROTEOR is the Kinoo solution which involves more than simply providing a helmet; it is an overall strategy for the management of plagiocephaly.

PROTEOR worked with a multidisciplinary team and drew from its 25 years of experience in treating this pathology to redesign all the various stages in the corrective helmet therapy whose focus is the well-being of the baby:

  • Creating a 3D image, using a specific scanner
  • 3D printing, with the option to individualize the helmet with patterns or colors
  • Support for parents provided via a dedicated app, a website (kinoo.proteor.fr) and a guide
  • Providing follow-up, the PROTEOR teams continually tailor the helmet to the baby for the entire duration of the treatment at no extra cost.
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The various stages of a Kinoo solution

Only a physician specialising in plagiocephaly con confirm the need for a helmet and write a prescription for it.

Specialist physicians in France are registered in the Craniost network

Once you have a prescription, you can make an appointment at one of our expert centers.

Once you have a prescription, you can make the appointment needed to obtain a 3D image of your baby’s head.

During this appointment, the orthotist will capture an extremely accurate 3D image to ensure the best possible fit for the helmet.

In just a few minutes, an ultra-precise image is obtained, and even with a wriggling baby!

The scanner does not use X-ray radiation – instead, thousands of photos are taken during a process which is totally harmless for the baby.

During this appointment, the parents may choose the color and pattern of their baby’s future helmet.

The baby’s Kinoo helmet will be custom-made using our state-of-the-art technology and our 3D-printing process.

Orthotists with expertise in plagiocephaly use the design software dedicated to Kinoo orthoses, whose development was informed by our 25 years of experience in this field.

Between 7 and 14 days after the head shape imaging appointment, the baby’s Kinoo helmet will be ready.

During this appointment, we will carefully check the fit, knowing that the baby may well have grown since the images used to manufacture the helmet were taken.

The orthotist will provide information about how to clean and care for the helmet and about how to gradually extend how long each day it is worn for. He or she will also answer any questions the parents may have.

The orthotist will then explain how to use the Kinoo app, which will show them how their baby’s head has changed at each subsequent follow-up appointment. The app also provides advice and information about the baby’s new life with its Kinoo helmet.

Every month, the baby will be seen at a follow-up appointment to check the helmet and how the head is changing. The orthotist may make adjustments depending on how the skull has grown.

Depending on the duration of the treatment and on the rate of growth of the baby’s head, we may be required to manufacture a new helmet, at no extra cost.