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Cover Story
National Biomechanics Day (NBD)—April 7, 2021—is a worldwide celebration of biomechanics in its many forms for high school students and teachers. Sponsored by The Biomechanics Initiative, NBD is in its 6th year of celebrating all things biomechanics. NBD’s goal is to accelerate the growth and impact of biomechanics science and application by introducing biomechanics to young people, namely high school students.
Latest Articles
Expert Opinion: Functional Medicine Takes On Chronic Posterior Tibial Tendinitis
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Patient Guidance: Bunion Surgery Options
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Biomechanics Basics: The Challenges of Shifting Plantar Pressure
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Falls in People with Multiple Sclerosis, Part I: Risk Identification, Intervention, and Future Directions
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Wound Care Update: Surgical Site Dehiscence in the Foot: Risk Factors and Prevention
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Expert Opinion: Principles of Best Diagnostic Practice in Tissue Repair and Wound Healing: An Expert Consensus
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Achilles Tendon Stiffness in Gout
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Patient Guidance: Is there conservative care for bunions?
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Sleep Series Part I: Basics of Sleep and Its Role with Injury
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Wound Care Update: A Case of a Misdiagnosed Neoplastic Wound of The Foot
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Patient Guidance: Stay Active to Reduce the Risk of Falling: 5 Exercises to Keep You Fit
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Patient Guidance: One Thing You Can Do to Ski Better
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Special Features
Functional Medicine Takes On Chronic Posterior Tibial Tendinitis
By Robert Kornfeld, D.P.M.
As a practicing podiatrist for 40 years, I have seen thousands of patients. About 33 years ago, I became frustrated with the fact that although many of my patients responded to conventional treatment, many did not, and I wanted to know why. To me, this was the missing link in improving my percentage of successful outcomes.
My traditional podiatry training taught me that in the world of connective tissue disorders, absent frank injury, we were dealing with inflammation that likely was borne out of biomechanical dysfunction. So, understanding that inflammation was responsible for the pain, I would employ protocols to suppress the inflammation, i.e., cortisone injections and prescription NSAIDs. A thorough biomechanical evaluation would be performed and the appropriate exercise and stretching routine would be prescribed along with what I believed to be the most appropriate orthotic. Perhaps some physical therapy (PT) modalities would be thrown in as well to enhance perfusion and accelerate cellular turnover time. And, of course, if this approach failed, I could usually find a surgical procedure that might solve the problem.
But it didn’t always work. There was a consistent minority of patients that failed every attempt I made to heal them. Every practice has these patients. We think of them as kooks. We lose patience with them and blame their failure to heal on their psychology. We feel stress when they return to the office and complain that they’re not any better, or worse yet, that since coming to the office they have gotten worse.
The bunion deformity, technically termed hallux abductovalgus or HAV, is a 3-plane positional deformity of the great toe and first metatarsal and can ultimately lead to pain with shoe wearing and walking. Conservative treatment is always favored first; however, the only way to truly eliminate the deformity itself is by surgical correction.
By Paul J. Betschart, DPM
Facemasks are the most widely used tool for mitigating the spread of the COVID-19 pandemic. Decreased disease severity by the wearer has also been linked to the use of cloth facemasks. This well-documented finding is surprising considering that such masks are poor at filtering the smallest aerosol particles, which can reach the lower respiratory tract and have been associated with severe disease.
The long-awaited vaccines to ward off COVID-19 may be getting into people’s arms, but clinicians’ offices around the country are still asking, “are we doing all we can to keep our patient safe?” In addition to the current procedures of cleaning between patients with ultraviolet light or harmful chemicals, new technology is coming online to help answer that question.
Everyday glasses—the kind worn by hipsters and nerds alike—may do more than just improve eyesight. Two recent studies are reporting that wearing eyeglasses—to the tune of 8 or more hours a day—appears to slow or even prevent the wearer from becoming infected with SARS-CoV-2, the virus that causes COVID-19.
The most common neuropathy associated with diabetes mellitus is distal symmetrical polyneuropathy, also known as diabetic peripheral neuropathy (DPN). It affects around 12–50% of individuals with diabetes. DPN is a known important risk factor for serious adverse sequelae such as foot ulceration and amputation.
Industry News & Updates
The non-profit German Society for Interprofessional Aid Supply e. V. (DGIHV) has launched a new, open-access, bilingual database for scientific research projects and studies in the field of orthopedics and orthopedic aids. The aim is to bring together international and interdisciplinary research.
As undergraduates in Stanford University’s Biodesign for Digital Health course, Ryan Kalili and James Savoldelli set out to help injured athletes do their prescribed physical therapy (PT) regimen that must be done regularly at home to maximize healing.
Lucky’s Feet is a new children’s book that chronicles an 8-year-old boy’s transition from having to crawl around his grandmother’s home on his hands and knees due to having been born with clubfeet, to walking to school with his brothers and sisters who give him the nickname “Lucky.”
The American Orthotic and Prosthetic Association (AOPA) announced it is partnering with the Journal of Rehabilitative and Assistive Technologies Engineering (RATE). Published by SAGE Publishing, RATE is a peer-reviewed, open access, interdisciplinary journal focusing on the engineering aspects and practical applications of rehabilitation and assistive technologies.
Thusane, a Levallois-Perret, France–based medical device company has acquired Knit-Rite, Kansas City, KS, and its division Therafirm. This is Thuasne’s fourth and largest acquisition in the United States in 10 years.
Becker Orthopedic, Troy, MI, has appointed Mathew Waidelich as its vice president of business development. He comes to Becker with 45 years of experience in the orthotic and prosthetic and orthopedic industries with prior senior roles at Ottobock Healthcare, Bio Cybernetics…
Logan University, Chesterfield, MO, a private, special-focus university providing college education in chiropractic and the health sciences, will launch a Master’s in Athletic Training to its lineup of degree programs, beginning fall 2021. Applications are currently open for the fall 2021 trimester, and multiple cohorts will be offered per academic year. Logan is currently seeking accreditation for this new program and is not accredited by the Commission on Accreditation of ...
