October/November 2023

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Cover Story


Lower Extremity Injuries While Skydiving

Skydiving, jumping from an aircraft and free-falling before landing by parachute, is a popular activity in the United States. In 2022, approximately 42,000 United States Parachute Association (USPA) members made about 3.9 million jumps at more than 208 USPA-affiliated skydiving centers in the United States – an average of 92 jumps per member.

By Mathias B. Forrester, BS

Great News! Guest Perspective


NIH Grants $1.3M to Diversify Bioengineering

Over the past several decades, technology has effectively changed how global communities interface with one another. Travel is more affordable and efficient, and immigration has made cultural diversity a constant in all aspects of life. The internet literally transformed how we acquire information across the...

By Robert Lin, CPO

Features


Do the Fasciae of the Soleus Have a Role in Plantar Fasciitis? Part I

Plantar fasciitis is a chronic and painful disabling condition affecting the inferomedial aspect of the heel, usually extending toward the metatarsophalangeal joints. These authors examined the anatomical and biomechanical substrates of plantar fasciitis with special emphasis on the emerging, though largely neglected, fascial system.

By Larisa Ryskalin, Gabriele Morucci, Paola Soldani, and Marco Gesi

Podiatric Pathology in Women with Breast Cancer Undergoing Chemotherapy

Chemotherapy is one of the most widely used therapies for breast cancer. However, little research has been undertaken about podiatric adverse effects. Chemotherapy—1 of the most widely used therapies for breast cancer—and its effects have been widely...

By Raquel Veiga-Seijo, Sonia Pertega-Diaz, Maria Eva Perez-Lopez, Lourdes Calvo Martinez, Silvia Antolin Novoa, and Cristina Gonzalez-Martin

Falls and Related Injuries Due to Chronic Ankle Symptoms

Falls and falls-related injuries are a problem in individuals with chronic ankle symptoms. Falls are a significant health concern especially among older adults. While falls are associated with osteoarthritis (OA) and persistent pain at the hip and knee, falls have not been investigated in people with...

By Munira M. Al Mahrouqi, Bill Vicenzino, David A. MacDonald, and Michelle D. Smith

Surgical Treatment of Ingrown Toenails Part 1: Recurrence and Relief

Ingrown toenails are a common nail pathology, yet there is a lack of good quality evidence to guide practice. An ingrown toenail, or onychocryptosis, is a common nail pathology that occurs when the nail plate punctures the periungual skin causing substantial pain, inflammation, discomfort...

By Victoria Exley, Katherine Jones, Grace O’Carroll, Judith Watson, and Michael Backhouse

ShortTakes From the Literature


Hindfoot Nails And Geriatric Ankle Fractures

Ankle fractures can potentially limit an individual’s mobility, autonomy, and quality of life, making them devastating injuries for geriatric patients. Researchers from the Donald and Barbara Zucker School of Medicine at Hofstra/Northwell, in Hempstead, NY, wanted to better understand the functional outcomes and...

Trends in World-Class Endurance Training

In a recent invited commentary in the International Journal of Sports Physiology and Performance, a multidisciplinary expert panel of applied sport scientists identified recent trends in the evolving world of elite sport. Among the trends they identified...

Key Factors for Community Participation After Amputation

Can we predict community participation after amputation? Researchers from the Delaware Limb Loss Studies, Department of Physical Therapy, at the University of Delaware in Newark, sought to answer that question using a secondary analysis of a cross-sectional data set to identify factors that may predict community...

Dysfunctional Exosomes Involved in Chronic Inflammation in Diabetic Wounds

The processes that interfere with the normal healing process in people with diabetes remain incompletely understood. Recently, interest has grown in the role of exosomes in wound healing. Exosomes are nanosized, fluid-filled sacs released from cells that can carry cargo like proteins, peptides, and messenger RNA.

World Guidelines for Falls Prevention and Management for Older Adults

Falls and fall-related injuries are common in older adults, have negative effects on functional independence and quality of life and are associated with increased morbidity, mortality and health-related costs. Current guidelines are inconsistent, with no up-to-date, globally applicable ones present.

Sedentary Time And Polypharmacy

Increased sedentary time is associated with an increased risk of polypharmacy according to a recently published large national study of adults (>20 yrs) in the United States. Research has shown that there is an inverse relationship between participation in physical activity and polypharmacy (use of 5 or more medications).

Meeting Highlights

Industry News & Updates


Balance Health to Offer

Balance Health, a comprehensive lower extremity–focused physician practice, has announced that it will be offering a free webinar on Tuesday, January 23, 2024 (8PM ET/7PM CT/6PM MT/5PM PT) to help residents and fellows position themselves in the best way to find their ideal job.

New Resource Provides Education on Cancer-related VTEs

The National Comprehensive Cancer Network (NCCN®) announced the recent publication of a new supportive care patient guideline focused on preventing and treating cancer-associated blood clots, also known as venous thromboembolism (VTE). Research shows that people with cancer are...

Professor Helps Local Company Test a Better Prosthetic Foot

A Kennesaw State University (KSU) researcher is partnering with a local company to refine and test a new type of prosthetic foot that enhances function for people with long residual limbs. Professor of exercise science Mark Geil, PhD, received a grant from the National Institutes of Health’s...

NIH Grant to be Used to Develop Advanced Treatment for DFUs

A team of researchers from the Terasaki Institute for Biomedical Innovation (TIBI) and the University of Nebraska Medical Center (UNMC) has been awarded a $2.2 million grant from the National Institutes of Health (NIH) to develop a superior, multi-pronged wound treatment for diabetic foot ulcers (DFUs).

WillowWood Unveils New Brand Identity

WillowWood® launched a new brand identity to mark its expansion into multiple new product lines and technologies. The company’s new brand identity is a promise to keep pushing the forefront of the orthotics and prosthetics (O&P) industry.

Organ-on-a-Chip Could Accelerate Development of Arthritis Treatments

Researchers at Queen Mary University of London have developed a new organ-on-a-chip model of the human synovium, a membrane-like tissue that lines the joints. The model could help researchers to better understand the mechanisms of arthritis, such as knee osteoarthritis, and to develop new treatments for this group of debilitating diseases.

Software Designs Personalized Treatments for Movement Impairments

A team of Rice University engineers has launched a first-of-its-kind, open-source software that constructs and uses personalized computer models of how individual patients move to optimize treatments for neurologic and orthopedic mobility impairments. Funded by a grant from the National Institutes of Health...

The Last Word


Massage Guns: Do they Really Work?

There is a lack of specific research on the effect of percussive therapy (PT) delivered by massage guns on physiological adaptations. This systematic literature review investigates research conducted on the effects of PT interventions on performance in strength and conditioning settings, and on experiences of musculoskeletal pain.

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