Cover Story
The authors present four cases of complex lower extremity reconstruction involving segmental bone loss and deformity – failed total ankle arthroplasty, talus avascular necrosis, ballistic trauma, and nonunion of a tibial osteotomy.
By Rishin J. Kadakia, MD, Colleen M. Wixted, Nicholas B. Allen, Andrew E. Hanselman, MD, and Samuel B. Adams, MD
Editorial Appreciation
Some years it’s hard to say good-bye…and then there’s 2020. We’re sure we’re not the only ones happy to see it in the rearview mirror. But to just drive away is to ignore the words of Socrates, who rightfully said…
By Janice T. Radak, Editor, and Rich Dubin, Publisher
Letter to the Editor
I write in response to the September 2020 LER article, “Overlooked Arch in the Foot Is Key to its Evolution and Function,” by William Weir, which discusses the article, “Stiffness of the Human Foot and Evolution of the Transverse Arch,” by Venkadesan et al, published in Nature in early 2020.
By Kevin A. Kirby, DPM
Postcards From Main Street
3D printing has been making countless inroads into everyday work routines. Here, O&P professionals share their use of the technology. As this month’s cover conveys, three-dimensional (3D) printing has created breakthrough opportunities across the spectrum of lower extremity challenges.
By Janice T. Radak and Friends
Hightlights from SAWC
Researchers at the Kent State University College of Podiatric Medicine observed a specific subset of patients was frequently coming to their clinic with complications after mismanagement or misdiagnosis of initial blunt trauma soft tissue injuries to the lower extremity.
Chronic wounds are defined as those not proceeding through the orderly phase of tissue repair with 30 days; incidence of these wounds continue to rise, creating a burden not only on patients, but the healthcare system as well.
This investigational product case series looked the use of gellable fiber dressing technology in the setting of heavily exudating venous leg wounds in a series of 5 patients. Exudate management is key to healing this type of ulcer.
LER Pediatrics
Clinicians deal with clients and patients with a range of abilities. This author provides expert guidance on meeting patients and clients where they are to succeed in communicating.
By Eric Chessen, M.S.
Patient Guidance
By far, the most common cause of heel pain is a condition called plantar fasciitis. This condition is an injury to a ligament on the bottom of the foot called the plantar fascia. This ligament runs the length of the foot from the heel bone to the base of the toes.
By Paul J Betschart, DPM, ...
COVID Update
Severe acute respiratory syndrome coronavirus 2 (SARS-CoV-2), the cause of COVID-19, emerged from a zoonotic source in China in late 2019. Its transmission has been ineffectively controlled and the world has been immersed in a COVID-19 pandemic since early 1st quarter of 2020.
From the Literature
Scientists from Staffordshire University, England, claim that their new 3D-printed insoles can improve the foot health of people suffering with diabetes. Their study is said to present the first quantitative evidence in support of optimized cushioning in diabetic footwear as…
Declines in feelings of energy can lead to balance problems in older adults, according to Clarkson University research published in the journal Physical & Occupational Therapy in Geriatrics. “We wanted to see whether increases in feelings of fatigue or…
While ankle sprain is perhaps the most common of sporting injuries, there remains no one-size-fits-all solution. But there is one solution that’s losing ground based on new evidence from the Institute of Motion Analysis & Research (IMAR) at the University of Dundee in the United Kingdom.

























