Cover Story
Night splinting for plantar fasciitis gets the lion’s share of attention, but lower extremity practitioners are also seeing positive results with night use of orthoses for conditions ranging from cerebral palsy to AIDS.
By Larry Hand
Editor Message
When I was in journalism school in Los Angeles, securing a spot in the reporting class taught by Pulitzer Prize-winning LA Times writer George Ramos was a coup. It was also terrifying.
Jordana Bieze Foster, Editor
Special Report
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Foot and ankle experts from across the globe gathered in Sydney, Australia, in April for the third International Foot & Ankle Biomechanics (i-FAB) congress. LER’s exclusive coverage of this event starts with the ever-controversial topic of barefoot running and goes on to examine clinical and scientific progress related to plantar pressures, diabetes, pediatrics, unstable shoes, and osteoarthritis.
By Jordana Bieze Foster
Sponsored by an educational grant from…
Foot and ankle experts from across the globe gathered in Sydney, Australia, in April for the third International Foot & Ankle Biomechanics (i-FAB) congress. LER’s exclusive coverage of this event starts with the ever-controversial topic of barefoot running and goes ...
Cites lack of conclusive evidence – Joseph Hamill, PhD, is an avid runner who runs with a natural forefoot strike pattern. But Hamill, professor of kinesiology at the University of Massachusetts Amherst, says he wouldn’t recommend that running technique for ...
Lower extremity kinematics and training habits affect risk of overuse injury in runners, according to research from the University of Tubingen in Germany.
But ulcer severity may be decreased – In a Dutch randomized controlled trial of 171 high-risk diabetic patients, using plantar pressure measurements to confirm offloading below 200 kPa did not result in lower rates of ulcer recurrence over 18 months ...
Scalpel debridement of plantar calluses in elderly patients does not reduce plantar pressures and is no more effective than sham treatment for relieving pain, according to an Australian study.
Studies assess school shoes, flip-flops – Researchers from the University of Sydney in Australia have identified gait changes associated with pediatric footwear that may help explain foot complaints that have been reported in children.
Researchers from the University of Sydney remain perplexed by the emergence of hand tremor as a predictor of calf cramp in children with Charcot-Marie-Tooth disease but theorize that the relationship may involve fatigue.
Data confirm kinetic, EMG changes – The static curve of a rocker-bottom shoe does not correlate strongly with its rollover shape during gait, suggesting that other factors such as material stiffness may also contribute, according to research from the University ...
Variable-stiffness shoes may have performance benefits for athletes in addition to addressing kinetic risk factors for knee osteoarthritis, according to research from the National University of Singapore.
Departments
For the majority of evolutionary history, runners were either barefoot or wore minimalist footwear lacking the cushioning of today’s running shoes. Barefoot or minimally shod runners demonstrate differences1 in kinematics and impact forces compared with those wearing modern running shoes, ...
Hamstring injuries that occur during sprinting are a significant concern in football, not just because of the frequency with which they occur, but also because they are notoriously difficult to rehabilitate, which underscores the need for effective prevention through targeted ...
Not all patients with diabetes and not all ulcerated limbs are amenable to salvage. When salvage is not an option, amputation can help improve patient function, but a number of factors should be considered when deciding how much of the ...
A delay in the activation of the peroneus longus and peroneus brevis muscles is thought to contribute to the risk of inversion ankle sprain. New research suggests that ankle taping, in addition to providing mechanical stability, also helps reduce this ...
Evidence suggests that the prevalence and symptom severity of knee osteoarthritis are greater in African-American patients, underscoring the need for lower extremity practitioners to implement effective strategies for disease prevention and management in this patient population.
By Kelli D. Allen, PhD
News
In the Moment: Knee OA
By Emily Delzel
Education about weight loss—including why it’s important and how to achieve it—should be “front and center” of any clinical encounter involving patients with knee osteoarthritis (OA), said a researcher who recently published findings on the effects of weight change over time on OA-related pain and functional limitations.
A study e-published in April by the Journal of Alternative and Complementary Medicine suggests hatha yoga is superior to therapeutic exercises in reducing osteoarthritis-related walking pain. Investigators from Ebnezar Orthopedic Center in Bangalore, India, randomized 250 outpatients with radiographic knee OA…
Medial cartilage damage, not lateral damage, is the more prevalent pattern of cartilage morphology in patellofemoral knee osteoarthritis in all but the most severely involved knees, according to research from Boston University School of Medicine.
In the Moment: Sports medicine
By Emily Delzell
Backward running involves lower patellofemoral joint compression forces than forward running and is a viable strategy for rehabilitation of patellofemoral pain syndrome in runners, allowing them to continue exercise without increasing these forces, according to UK research e-published in April in the Journal of Biomechanics.
A retrospective analysis e-published in April in Clinical Orthopaedics and Related Research found physical examination is superior to magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) for diagnosis of acute Achilles tendon ruptures. Investigators at Thomas Jefferson University Hospital in Philadelphia compared 66 patients…
Interactions between gender and footwear type affect landing mechanics in soccer players, according to research e-published in April in the Scandinavian Journal of Medicine & Science in Sports. Investigators at Duke University in Durham, NC, conducted motion analysis on 28…
In the Moment: Surgery
By Samantha Rosenblum and Jordana Bieze Foster
Researchers in Baltimore reported that patients who have undergone total hip arthroplasty may experience greater inconvenience than other passengers when going through airport security.
Research from the University of Hong Kong provides further evidence that delaying anterior cruciate ligament surgery increases the risk of meniscal injury and articular cartilage lesions, both of which are associated with increased long-term risk of knee osteoarthritis. Investigators analyzed…
Overweight and obese patients with end-stage ankle arthritis may think that having surgery will inspire them to lose weight, but research from the University of British Columbia suggests that in reality this doesn’t happen. Investigators retrospectively assessed 145 patients who…
Market Mechanics
Products
Using UV technology, the shUVee Ultraviolet Shoe Deodorizer is proven to destroy odor causing germs and bacteria, including MRSA (Methicillin Resistant Staphylococcus Aureus), and T. Rubruna, the parent strain of the fungus commonly known as athlete’s foot. The deodorizer is ...
Breg has released a new ankle brace named the Ultra High-5, which features a lightweight, semi-rigid, heat-moldable shell designed for anti-rotation and anti-inversion to help patients or athletes recover from high or low ankle injuries. This brace moves with the ...
KeepingPace offers SuperMax Children’s AFO Socks, incorporating 92% CoolMax polyester to wick moisture away from the foot when worn under ankle foot orthoses. Construction features 2% Lycra content to ensure stretch and eliminate bunching. A 6% exterior plated nylon content ...
The Universal Plantar Fasciitis Support from Corflex is designed to provide pressure and continuous support to help reduce the pain caused by plantar fasciitis. The 1½” elastic tension strap applies pressure over the medial calcaneal tubercle and plantar fascia. This ...
Elite Orthopaedics introduces the Advantage Air-Gel Ankle Brace. The brace, designed for patients in acute to active phases of ankle recovery and rehabilitation, is available in a universal size to either the left or right ankle and may be dispensed ...
Spenco Medical Corporation has unveiled its first full shoe, the Total Support Siesta, as part of its spring 2012 footwear line. The slip-on Siesta features the same footbed contour as the Total Support insole, with a metatarsal bump to offload ...
Levy & Rappel has finally introduced the Original Levy Dynamic AFO. This biomechanically correct and dynamic ankle foot orthosis is fully custom manufactured from the practitioner’s cast and delivered in seven days. A Tamarack ankle joints (dorsiflexion assist or free ...
New from Active Innovations, a division of Active Ankle Systems, the ProMed brace provides the comfort and mobility of a lace-up with added support for controlling both the heel and the forefoot, starting with its Y-shaped vertical stabilization straps. Total ...
DDPYoga is designed by Diamond Dallas Page (DDP), a three-time professional wrestling heavyweight champion who entered the ring at 35, an age when most pro athletes are in retirement. DDPYoga is a hybrid workout that incorporates some traditional yoga movements ...
Fabrifoam Products introduces an improved version of its Reflective PattStrap with continuous reflective stripes for increased visibility and greater leg-hugging power. This multi-purpose strap can be used to treat iliotibial band syndrome (ITBS), patellar tendinitis, Osgood-Schlatter disease, chondromalacia, and for ...
