Lower Extremity Review
Low force values surprise researchers
An Austrian study exploring the role of genu valgum and flatfoot in obese and normal weight children found obesity was associated with higher peak plantar pressures, but lower maximum force while walking, when forces were normalized to body weight.
By Christina Hall Nettles
Most question emphasis on flatfoot
The value of screening programs for pediatric foot problems—primarily flatfoot—was recently challenged in a commentary by Australian podiatrist Angela Evans, PhD, a researcher and lecturer in the Division of Health Sciences at the University of Adelaide.
By Cary Groner
The sports medicine community is demonstrating increasing interest in the possibility that neurocognitive impairment and musculoskeletal injury may be related, as evidenced most recently by an exchange in the letter to the editor section of the September issue of The American Journal of Sports Medicine (AJSM).
Running a marathon does not significantly affect Achilles tendon stiffness, suggesting that overuse may not explain Achilles ruptures in runners, according to a Finnish study published in the October issue of the Journal of Experimental Biology.
Knee and ankle sprains in National Football League (NFL) players occurred more frequently on artificial turf than on grass between 2000 and 2009, according to a study commissioned by the NFL Injury and Safety Panel e-published in September by The American Journal of Sports Medicine.
Contrary to expectations, total joint arthroplasty (TJA) for hip or knee osteoarthritis does not necessarily lead to weight loss, according to a systematic review performed by researchers in San Diego.
Athletes who undergo surgical reconstruction after anterior cruciate ligament (ACL) injury are no more likely to return to sports one year later than those treated nonoperatively, according to a Norwegian study.
Swiss researchers have found that pedobarographic differentiation between ankle arthrodesis patients and healthy volunteers can be narrowed down to a single variable, midfoot index of load—a finding that could make the technology much more accessible to the average clinician.
Among the 22 competitors on the 21st season of CBS’s Amazing Race was bilateral amputee Amy Purdy, a medalled snowboarder and cofounder of Adaptive Action Sports, a Lummi Island, WA-based company aimed at giving youths and young adults with disabilities an entrée into...
Colleyville, TX-based Medi-Dyne Healthcare in September bought pain prevention product company Cho-Pat, which is head-quartered in Hainesport, NJ. The acquisition of Cho-Pat is consistent with Medi-Dyne’s strategy of providing pain relief and prevention solutions...
The Foundation for Physical Therapy in Alexandria, VA, has awarded Georgetown University economist and Professor of Public Policy Jean Mitchell, PhD, a $300,000 high-impact research grant to study the influence of physical therapy referral characteristics and...
Kansas City, KS-based Knit-Rite, a global manufacturer and distributor of orthotics and prosthetics, compression hosiery, and general medical textiles, received International Organization for Standardization(ISO)13485:2003 certification in September for both its...
Durham, NC-based continuing education company FootCentric, the University of North Carolina (UNC) at Chapel Hill Division of Physical Therapy Faculty Clinic, and the North Carolina Physical Therapy Association are collaborating on the “Free Your Feet Project.” The...
There were no medals for the orthotists, prosthetists, and other lower extremity specialists in attendance at the 2012 games in London. But thousands of world-class athletes couldn’t have succeeded without them.
By Emily Delzell
If you treat overweight patients with hip or knee osteoarthritis, you’ve undoubtedly counseled them about the benefits of exercise and maintaining a healthy weight. They’ve probably told you how much they really would like to exercise, if only the pain weren’t so bad.
Jordana Bieze Foster, Editor
Join
Stay in the loop with the latest news and updates! Subscribe now to receive exclusive content, special offers, and important announcements straight to your inbox. Don’t miss out – join our community today for all the latest updates delivered directly to you.