Lower Extremity Review
Dynamic plantar pressure distributions vary between soccer and basketball players in ways that may have implications for preventing injuries related to repetitive loading, according to research from Spain presented in Monaco in April. Investigators from Catholic...
Efforts focus on soccer players Norway and Denmark are traditionally rivals in soccer. But an increasingly popular Norwegian eccentric strength training technique for preventing hamstring injuries recently got a big assist from Danish researchers. An open cluster...
Kinetic variables, including impact peaks, do not predict risk of running related lower extremity injury in novice runners, according to research from the Netherlands. Investigators from University Medical Center Groningen prospectively analyzed kinetics in 181 novice...
Valgus may play supporting role The usual luminaries were on hand in Monaco to exchange familiar barbs over the relative contributions of knee valgus and knee flexion to anterior cruciate ligament injury, but much of the new research being presented suggests that...
Genetics may be the final frontier of sports injury prevention, and researchers are only beginning to explore it. But investigators from South Africa are slowly making progress in identifying specific gene variants associated with risk of anterior cruciate ligament...
Early mobilization techniques have revolutionized both surgical and nonsurgical management of Achilles ruptures, but the resulting improved outcomes have ignited a heated discussion among practitioners as to which approach is best.
by Cary Groner
Genetic testing would seem to be just what the doctor ordered for sports injury prevention. But the world of sports is far from ready for genetic testing.
Given the preliminary nature of data presented in April at the IOC World Conference on Prevention of Injury & Illness in Sports (see special section, page 23), it will be quite a while before testing for a genetic predisposition to Achilles tendinopathy or anterior cruciate ligament injury is ready for prime time.
by Jordana Bieze Foster, Editor
Many lower extremity practitioners are not aware of the risks of distress, depression, and cognitive impairment in patients with diabetes. But screening for mental health issues and adjusting patient management accordingly can significantly improve diabetic foot care outcomes.
By Larry Hand
Research suggests that different bracing designs may have different mechanisms of action for relief of patellofemoral pain syndrome, which is consistent with the heterogeneous nature of the condition and underscores the need to understand each design’s function prior to treatment.
By Song Joo Lee, MS, Yupeng Ren, MS, Nicole A. Wilson, PhD, Sang Hoon Kang, PhD, and Li-Qun Zhang, PhD
Not so long ago, the effectiveness of prefabricated foot orthoses relative to their custom brethren was a bitterly divisive topic. But the vitriol has dissipated over time, as practitioners have turned their focus to the appropriate selective use of each type of device.
by Cary Groner
The loss of bone integrity that accompanies ACL injury persists after reconstructive surgery, even with aggressive rehabilitation. Improved interventions may help decrease patients’ risk for low bone mineral density and osteoarthrosis.
By John Nyland DPT, SCS, EdD, ATC, CSCS, FACSM
Findings from studies of PRP can be conflicting and confusing, but lower extremity practitioners remain cautiously optimistic about the trendy treatment’s clinical potential to accelerate healing of soft tissues, bone, and diabetic wounds.
by Cary Groner
Rotation may be key to pain relief
Research from the Hospital for Special Surgery in New York City confirms that the kinetic effects of osteoarthritis knee bracing are in fact related to bracing’s effects on knee pain—but not in the way investigators had expected.
The Orthopadie + Reha-Technik international O&P congress has issued a call for papers for its May 2012 meeting in Leipzig, Germany. Technicians, engineers, therapists, and physicians are invited to submit abstracts by September 30. Abstracts may be submitted in...
Rehab device provider VQ OrthoCare, creator of the BioniCare Knee System, has announced the BioniCare discount program for National Football League Players Association (NFPLA) former player members and their families. Irvine, CA-based VQ OrthoCare initiated this...
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