Lower Extremity Review
A week after this magazine goes to press, I’ll be in Puerto Rico with my in-laws for a beach wedding. I’m sure the scenery will be spectacular. But I also know that once the ceremony is over, I’ll be counting the minutes until I can put my heels back on.
Jordana Bieze Foster, Editor
The medical literature supports the use of orthotic devices in patients with posterior tibial tendon dysfunction, especially those in the early stages. Demonstrated benefits include improvements in foot and ankle alignment, clinical symptoms, and functional outcomes.
By Holly Olszewski, CPO
Despite the expense associated with advanced wound care technologies, evidence suggests that switching from standard care makes both clinical and economic sense if a diabetic foot ulcer has not experienced a 50 percent reduction in wound area after four weeks.
By Emily Delzell
Some studies support the effectiveness of physical therapy for reducing pain and improving function in patients with hip osteoarthritis, but evidence on the topic is limited and contradictory—suggesting that perhaps PT is most effective in a specific subgroup of patients.
By Alexis A. Wright, PT, PhD, DPT, and Garrett S. Naze, PT, DPT
This two-part series explores the role of rotational forces in athletic injuries and the extent to which bracing can help control those forces and, in turn, prevent those injuries. This second installment examines rotation as a contributor to anterior cruciate ligament injury.
By Cary Groner
Wrong-site surgery can have significant financial and professional consequences, which is why surgeons’ organizations are promoting protocols specifically designed to reduce such errors. A recent survey of foot and ankle surgeons suggests those efforts are paying off.
By Donald E. Fowler III, MD; Karl M. Schweitzer Jr, MD; Olubusola Brimmo, MD; Ryan May, BS; and Selene G. Parekh, MD, MBA
Research suggests that individuals with chronic ankle instability use different movement strategies to maintain postural control than individuals with healthy ankles. These changes may be related to alterations in movement variability associated with ankle instability.
By Lisa Chinn, MS, ATC, and C. Collin Herb, MEd, ATC
Recent research from the Netherlands suggests that a custom-made orthopedic shoe designed for temporary use can enhance early mobilization after stroke, improving functional mobility, walking speed, and gait.
By Emily Delzell
Research from the Auckland University of Technology suggests use of poor footwear is a major problem in patients with gout, finding that 42% of individuals studied wore shoes with inadequate cushioning, support, stability, or motion control. The New Zealand...
Girls who take part in recreational jazz dancing may be wearing dance shoes that adversely affect muscle activation and restrict their ability to attain the optimal pointed, or plantar flexed, position while dancing, according to Australian researchers. Investigators...
Achilles injuries in the National Football League appear to be occurring earlier, more frequently, and in younger players than in previous seasons. Whether that apparent trend is related to the labor dispute and lockout that shortened the preseason is a matter of considerable debate.
By Jordana Bieze Foster
Patients experience significant increases in femoral neck bone density six months after undergoing hip resurfacing, which suggests it is safe for them to return to high-impact sports at that time, according to research from Washington University School of Medicine in...
Landing on the rearfoot instead of the forefoot during cutting and pivoting tasks can decrease knee loading and theoretically reduce the risk of anterior cruciate ligament injury, according to a study from George Mason and Old Dominion universities. Researchers...
Recent legal actions in Wisconsin have targeted millions of dollars in Medicare and Medicaid fraud associated with the sales of orthotic devices. On October 24 Wisconsin Attorney General J.B. Van Hollen announced that his office had charged seven Milwaukee residents...
The American College of Foot and Ankle Surgeons (ACFAS) is seeking members to serve as investigators as part of a research initiative on subtalar joint arthroereisis. The study’s principal investigator, Adam E. Fleischer, DPM, MPH, FACFAS, and colleagues are...
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