Advertisement

Market Mechanics

PediFix founder’s great-grandsons commemorate 125-year milestone

The PediFix Footcare Company is commemorating its 125th anniversary this year with free giveaways and a special event at the upcoming national meeting of the American Podiatric Medical Association.

“We’re proud to celebrate our 125th anniversary this year at the industry’s key convention,” said  Dennis Case, chief executive officer.

Attendees at the national APMA meeting, to be held in Seattle in July, will be invited to take part in the celebration. The company has already held private gatherings of international distributors from around the world, according to Jon Case, vice president of sales. Pedifix also plans to give away free samples of its top products throughout the year, he added.

Heinrich Berkemann, who founded the Brewster, NY-based company in 1885, would no doubt be pleased not only by the milestone achievement but also by the fact that Pedifix has stayed in the family through four generations.

Started by the elder Berkemann as one of the very first firms offering arch supports for shoes, the company was later managed by his two sons, Walter and Hans, then by their sons and daughters, including Dr. Melitta Berkemann and Roger Case. Today brothers Dennis, Chris and Jon Case are active in the firm’s leadership.

“Not many companies make it to 125,” said Chris Case, marketing director. “We’re very fortunate earlier generations were committed to building a business that would endure, and we carry that same philosophy forward. It’s too early to tell if the next generation will dedicate themselves to the family business, but they have plenty of time to decide.”

Matplus adds Richie Brace products

Matplus is moving up the kinetic chain. The Painesville, OH-based company announced in June that it would be offering the complete line of Richie Braces in addition to its existing portfolio of materials, insoles and accessories. Current product lines include dual and tri-laminate foams for a variety of patient needs, functional and diabetic insoles, and a complete line of  foot care pads and accessories.

Richie Brace ankle foot orthoses were developed by Seal Beach, CA-based Richie Technologies. With the addition of the braces, which feature adjustable semi-rigid lower leg uprights in addition to an orthotic footplate, Matplus will offer not only its first AFOs but also its first custom products. Each brace is fabricated from an impression cast taken of the patient’s foot and lower leg.

Advertisement

Matplus will provide practitioners with a comprehensive packet that includes detailed information on the various braces, prescription forms, diagnostic and billing codes, and troubleshooting tips.

Study backs Invel insoles for DOMS

Research suggests that Invel insoles, which feature far-infrared technology, could help prevent delayed-onset muscle soreness in athletes if worn during exercise.

The Invel insoles were associated with significantly less pain and muscle breakdown after exercise than control insoles in a study presented in June at the annual meeting of the American College of Sports Medicine.

The manufacturer of the insoles, Sao Paulo, Brazil-based Invel, plans to open a U.S. office this year. The company offers an array of products – from T-shirts to gloves – made from a fabric that incorporates bioceramic elements for far-infrared effects.

In the study, researchers from Sao Paulo Federal University analyzed 10 young male adults who were randomly assigned to receive control insoles or Invel insoles. All subjects completed 30 minutes of downhill treadmill running at 85% of maximal heart rate.

At 24 hours after exercise, the subjects who wore the Invel insoles demonstrated significantly lower levels of serum creatine kinase (a marker of muscle breakdown) and significantly less pain as measured on a visual analog scale compared to those in the control group. Those between-group differences persisted at 48 hours and 72 hours.

Poron takes to the ice in Bauer deal

You know it for its ability to withstand impacts during gait. Now Poron technology will be protecting hockey players from the repeated impacts of body checks and wayward sticks.

The High Performance Foams Division of Rogers Corporation has partnered with Kitchener, Ontario-based Bauer Hockey, the world’s leading manufacturer of ice hockey equipment, to develop a line of performance hockey equipment that emphasizes injury prevention.

Poron XRD Extreme Impact Protection Material, made by Rogers, CT-based Rogers Corporation, will be featured in a variety of new 2010 Bauer Hockey equipment, including the Bauer 9900 Helmet that was introduced in early April.

A thin and flexible alternative to traditional padding, Poron XRD Protection is engineered to withstand extreme impacts, hit after hit. Breathable Poron XRD technology fits like a second skin and gives athletes a wearable protection material that quickly forms a protective shell when impacted.

“Protecting athletes from multiple impacts at a variety of intensities is a major challenge for protective equipment brands and manufactures,” said Dave Sherman, Rogers new business development manager. “Poron XRD Technology is a wearable protection solution for players at all levels. Teaming up with Bauer Hockey helps to ensure that players at all levels of the game have the opportunity to experience the best in impact protection and comfort.”

Additional products featuring Poron XRD Extreme Impact Protection are scheduled to release in the coming year.

Advertisement