January 2011

Cover Story


THINKING SMALL: Making strides in children’s footwear
THINKING SMALL: Making strides in children’s footwear
It was my first trip to buy shoes for my then-toddler son. He had just started walking with the aid of helping hands, and as I stared out at a sprawling display of shoes inside a high-end ...

Editor Message


Out on a limb: Minding the gap
Out on a limb: Minding the gap
Not long ago, I was chatting with the new girls’ volleyball coach at my local area high school, and she mentioned that one of her goals was to focus on injury prevention. Specifically, she planned to emphasize shoulder strengthening. So ...

Departments


AFO users must rethink concept of ‘normal’ gait
AFO users must rethink concept of ‘normal’ gait
Ankle foot orthoses can make a neuromuscular patient’s gait pattern more like that of an unaffected person, but the devices can also be associated with compensations of their own. And in some patients, a more ‘normal’ gait ...
Foot and ankle exercises in patients with diabetes
Foot and ankle exercises in patients with diabetes
Guidelines recommend cardiovascular and strengthening exercises in patients with diabetes, but flexibility exercises focused on the foot and ankle can impart added benefits. Improving range of motion can positively affect gait, pressure distribution, and risk of foot ...
Postop bracing after ACL reconstruction
Postop bracing after ACL reconstruction
Bracing is often recommended after anterior cruciate ligament reconstruction, in the interest of controlling range of motion and protecting the graft as it heals. However, few studies have scientifically examined this practice, and the available findings are ...
Orthotic intervention for metatarsalgia relief
Orthotic intervention for metatarsalgia relief
Research suggests that metatarsal pads and other off-loading techniques can help alleviate painful symptoms in patients with metatarsalgia. Orthotic intervention, in conjunction with correct shoes, can be an important component of improving quality of life for these patients. by Paul R. ...
Articular cartilage rehab: Guidelines for treatment
Articular cartilage rehab: Guidelines for treatment
A scientifically based approach to rehabilitation of articular cartilage lesions starts with restoration of passive range of motion followed by a progressive resistance training program for muscle strengthening, with particular attention to joint alignment. By Walter L. Jenkins ...

News


In the Moment: Sports Medicine

By Jordana Bieze Foster

Revisiting ACL injury
Revisiting ACL injury
Theories posit complex mechanisms In recent years, discussions of anterior cruciate ligament injury biomechanics have increasingly concluded that the mechanism of such injuries is likely multifactorial, with a number of different lines of research each contributing a piece of the puzzle. ...
French study links leg stiffness, power to jump height, speed in tennis players
A French study suggests that leg stiffness and power in tennis players are each significantly correlated with countermovement jump height and running speed—two factors that earlier research linked to competitive performance. Investigators from the Universite du Maine in Le Mans, France, ...
Five weeks of assisted training boosts jump height in elite volleyball players
Taking a load off during training may help volleyball players jump higher, according to Australian research published in the January issue of the Journal of Science & Medicine in Sport. Assisted jump training, in which 10 kg of assistance was provided ...

In the Moment: Rehabilitation

By Jordana Bieze Foster

Achilles rupture redux
Achilles rupture redux
Two studies back nonsurgical approach Nonoperatively treated Achilles tendon ruptures are no more vulnerable to re-rupture than those treated surgically as long as early mobilization is part of the protocol, according to two randomized studies that appear to contradict current evidence-based ...
Two tests in days after stroke predict independent walking 6 months later
Two simple tests performed within 72 hours of an ischemic stroke can help predict the likelihood of achieving independent gait after six months, according to research from the Netherlands. In 154 first-ever ischemic stroke patients ...
Slow responses should put the brakes on driving with right foot immobilized
Army researchers are recommending that patients not drive with an immobilization device on their right foot, based on a study suggesting that such devices significantly increase braking response time. Investigators from Brooke Army Medical Center in Fort Sam Houston, ...

Market Mechanics


Products


WellWave Focused Energy System
WellWave Focused Energy System
Richard Wolf Medical Instruments Corporation (MIC) announces the U.S. launch and immediate availability of its WellWave focused energy system for the effective, non-surgical treatment of chronic and acute musculoskeletal pain. Featuring a proprietary piezo-electric acoustic energy generation system, the WellWave ...
VLP Foot Plating System
VLP Foot Plating System
Smith & Nephew Orthopaedics Division has introduced its VLP Foot Variable-angle Locked Plating system. The portfolio of innovative screws and low-profile plates expands the population of patients who can return to an active lifestyle after foot surgery. The broad range ...
Soft Opaque Compression Hose
Soft Opaque Compression Hose
Sigvaris introduces its Soft Opaque stockings, billed as the softest medical compression hosiery of its kind without chemical additives. The stockings utilize microfiber yarns to achieve softness. Soft Opaque medical compression hosiery is available in knee-high, thigh high, and pantyhose ...
Circumferential Shell Ankle Walker
Circumferential Shell Ankle Walker
Elite Orthopaedics introduces a new full circumferential shell ankle walker for Grade 2 & 3 ankle sprains, stable foot and ankle fractures or trauma, post-operative and rehabilitation purposes. The Advantage FS Air Walker is now available in Small, Medium and ...
Jerry Miller Custom Shoes
Jerry Miller Custom Shoes
Jerry Miller celebrates its 65 year shoemaking tradition with a new collection of high quality custom-molded shoes. Combining fit and function, the new shoe line features Medi-flex fabric for accommodating hammertoes, bunions, edema, and hypersensitive feet. The shoes are handcrafted ...
Skier’s Edge Training Machine
Skier’s Edge Training Machine
The Skier’s Edge Company has added the elite QS5 machine and QS5 upgrade kits to its line of training and exercise devices. Skier’s Edge machines are designed to simulate the balance, stability, and strength required for skiing and other sports ...
Townsend Design UniReliever Brace
Townsend Design UniReliever Brace
Townsend Design announces its new UniReliever brace, one of eight osteoarthritis braces offered by the company. The UniReliever is a single upright, rigid aircraft aluminum brace engineered to be a lightweight, low profile solution for maintaining alignment and reducing load ...
Voltage Isolator 4 Infiniti
Voltage Isolator 4 Infiniti
Thought Technology, a biofeedback and psychophysiological instrument manufacturer, launched its new Voltage Isolator 4 Infiniti isokinetic dynamometer interface. The Volt- age Isolator 4 Infiniti is an interface device that provides electrical isolation. It allows Thought Technology’s systems (sensors + encoder ...