Cover Story
Increasingly, clinicians and researchers are focusing on tactical athletes—including warfighters, firefighters, law enforcement officers, and other professionals—as a unique population with regard to lower extremity injuries.
By Hank Black
Publisher Memo
Readers of LER are very familiar with the fact that healthcare is constantly evolving, and that professional success depends in part on the ability to respond to those changes. Similarly, at LER, we also realize the importance of adapting to change—with regard to evolutions in publishing as well as evolutions in healthcare.
By Richard Dubin, Publisher
Editor Message
The farther you go up the kinetic chain, the more some things about evidence-based medicine stay the same. The spine differs in many ways from most of the lower extremity segments of the kinetic chain. Obvious differences include the shape and function of the bony structures, the complex roles of the adjacent muscles, and how the spine responds to the demands of movement.
By Jordana Bieze Foster, Editor
SPECIAL SECTION: Up the Chain
The kinetic chain doesn’t end at the hips, and practitioners know the stability and function of the lower extremities can significantly influence the stability and function of the spine and core. Researchers and clinicians recently have been examining these relationships in more detail, and a growing body of evidence suggests that distal approaches can be effective for preventing and managing spinal conditions across a wide range of patient populations.
Departments
Experts say new research underscoring the clinical benefits of bracing for patients with knee osteoarthritis (OA), along with more comfortable device designs aimed at improving patient compliance, may help boost the historically low rates of brace utilization in this patient population.
By Barbara Boughton
Developing a multidisciplinary team dedicated to diabetic limb salvage allows for immediate referral, lessens the burdens on individual practitioners, helps remove structural barriers that can delay patient care, and offers a framework in which to organize inpatient care for these patients.
By Brian M. Schmidt, DPM, AACFAS
News
In the Moment: Sports Medicine
By Jordana Bieze Foster
Research presented in late June at the National Athletic Trainers Association (NATA) annual meeting in Houston, TX, adds to the evidence suggesting alterations in central nervous system (CNS) function play a role in chronic ankle instability (CAI).
By Jordana Bieze Foster
College-aged runners with plantar fasciitis are significantly more likely to have limited ankle dorsiflexion than their uninjured counterparts, according to research from Texas State University in San Marcos.
Factors contributing to kinesiophobia after anterior cruciate ligament reconstruction (ACLR) appear to differ in patients with high levels of physical activity compared with their less-active counterparts, according to research from the University of Virginia in Charlottesville.
Gluteal muscle activation—not just strength—is significantly associated with landing biomechanics, according to research from High Point University in North Carolina.
Market Mechanics
By Emily Delzell
Products
DryPro, a division of DryCorp, introduces Cast Relief Probiotic spray. The new Cast Relief formula is engineered to allow users of all ages to remain itch and odor free while wearing a lower extremity cast. Probiotic Cast Relief is designed to be safe, natural, chemical free, eco-friendly, and biodegradable.
The new Convertible Mueller TPD AFO (tibialis posterior dysfunction ankle foot orthosis) is a detachable, dynamic AFO for staged treatment of TPD and related pathologies, including tendinopathy, desmopathy, and dysfunctional flatfoot.
The Korebalance is an advanced rehabilitation system for professional use with interactive technology for neurosensory training and assessment. The Korebalance offers clinicians accurate and objective tools to assess and improve patients’ balance, posture, coordination, stability, and…
Newly redesigned, the AirShift OA Knee Brace from Med Spec uses the power of air to comfortably relieve pain associated with unicompartmental osteoarthritis. The durable air bladder system allows patients and practitioners to easily adjust the level of unloading.
OLT Footcare offers modern scanning technology to facilitate orthotic device design for practitioners who treat patients with foot, ankle, knee, and hip problems. OLT Footcare’s new scanner takes only two seconds per foot, and records a 3D image along with all measurement of…
Niagara Brace and Tru-Mold Shoes have combined their more than 60 years of shoemaking experience and computer-assisted design and manufacturing technology to create the new custom-molded Sure Stabilizer Brace for patients who have had difficulty with…
MatPlus announces its manufacturing capabilities now include fabric lamination and compression cutting. New equipment allows the company to adhere many porous materials to foams via a dry lamination process, which helps address the challenges associated with…
Ped-Lite introduces Jack and Jill athletic footwear for patients with diabetes. The athletic shoes are designed with an ultra-light sole and breathable mesh upper to bring comfort to the diabetic foot. Double depth and elastic-lace closure provide a quality fit and help…
Brooks Sports offers the Beast ’16 and newly updated Beast ’16 LE (limited edition) running shoes. The Beast ’16 LE has a new no-sew upper for added comfort and a sleeker fit. The Beast ’16 features adaptive midsole cushioning technology, an extended progressive diagonal roll…
Therafirm has added new Sheer Ease Patterns to its Ease line of compression hosiery. The new sheer patterns include a scallop pattern for knee high styles and a diamond pattern for thigh highs and pantyhose, and are available in several colors.
HotShot is a 1.7-oz sports beverage for the prevention and treatment of exercise-related muscle cramps. Invented by a Nobel Prize-winning neuroscientist and endurance athlete, in collaboration with a Harvard Medical School neurobiology professor, HotShot is designed to…
OPTP has partnered with two physical therapists to offer the Knee Glide physical therapy exercise tool. For lower extremity indications, patients place a foot on the Knee Glide plate for easy movement back and forth along the track.