Lower Extremity Review
A recent report by the US Department of Health & Human Services, Office of Inspector General determined that Medicare improperly paid suppliers for durable medical equipment, prosthetics, orthotics, and supplies (DMEPOS) items provided during inpatient stays. Medicare should not pay a supplier for items furnished to a beneficiary when the beneficiary is still an inpatient.
The University of Wisconsin–Madison (UW–M) and a spinoff company, Imbed Biosciences, Fitchburg, WI, have received a $1.5 million, 2-year grant from the National Institutes of Health to test whether adding gallium metal ions to an ultra-thin material carrying antimicrobial silver can defeat the “biofilms” that shield bacteria from antibiotics.
Tight and uncomfortable shoes, an active lifestyle, and long hours at work can damage the skin of one’s heels. Conceived as a treatment for such harm, PurSources Urea 40% Foot Cream is formulated to heal damaged feet in the quickest amount of time possible. This soothing foot product has a cooling sensation when applied, and it incorporates tea tree oil to repel fungal bacteria.
The Healing Sole, a patented flip flop invented by orthopedic foot surgeon Meredith Warner, MD, was fashioned to promote recovery and general foot health by gently stretching and taking pressure off the wearer’s foot so the body can rest and heal itself over time. The product’s firm sole is designed to speed up the recovery of common foot presentations like plantar fasciitis, forefoot pain, and tendonitis.
OS1st WP4 Wellness Performance Socks are the latest innovation in ING Source’s Socks with Purpose Program. The WP4s are strategically designed for individuals who suffer from diabetes, sensitive feet, edema, neuropathy, and poor circulation. They feature four zones of graduated compression to help boost circulation, reduce friction, and provide overall foot support.
PediFix now offers a new treatment option for bunions and hammer and crossover toe deformities, available for pre-, post-, or non-operative use. The B2, short for bunion and 2nd toe, was developed by Jeff DeSantis, DPM, FACFAS, of Cambridge Foot & Ankle Associates in Southern California. The relationship allows PediFix to expand availability of the B2 to podiatrists and their patients
The design of the Swede-O Fits All Open Patella Knee Support from Core Products is less painful to apply and easier to adjust compared to pull-on style knee supports. This support provides gentle compression and warmth to help relieve aches, pain, strains, and weakened knees. High-quality neoprene delivers uniform compression and warmth to help reduce pain and promote recovery.
The newly designed Silver AXIS Roller is now available from OPTP. The roller features a new-to-market moderate density unlike any other roller available. The Silver AXIS Roller is firm enough for myofascial release, yet soft enough to comfortably perform exercises for improved balance, stability, flexibility, and function.
Össur’s new Rebound Foot-Up is a lightweight ankle-foot orthosis (AFO) that offers dynamic support for foot drop or related disorders that require dorsiflexion support. The AFO supports ankle dorsiflexion during swing phase. Dynamic support is provided by an elastic strap connected to the shoe by a transparent plastic inlay placed between shoelaces, or by a nut and bolt fastened through the eyelets
New from Curbell O&P, a division of Curbell Plastics, is OP-TEK Flex EVA Sheet. The material is a soft, flexible ethylene-vinyl acetate copolymer designed to provide patient comfort when used as a flexible inner liner for rigid socket frames and inner boots orthoses.
JMS Plastics Supply has long been recognized for only offering the highest quality fabricating materials. Following in that tradition JMS Plastics now offers you a FREE workable sample of the brand-new Poly-E Foam fabrication material. This amazing new fabricating material is half the weight of competitive products, yet with all the inherent strength needed to be ideal for fabricating lower extremity products.
The OS1st HV3 Bunion Bracing Sleeve from OS1st was created using a light-flex toe splint with an anatomically correct split-toe design to provide relief of bunions, realignment of toe angles, and reduction of forefoot swelling. Built-in silicone stabilizers hold the brace in place so the splint can straighten the hallux and help separate toes for gradual correction, relief, and recovery.
ProComp sheet, available exclusively from Curbell O&P, is an innovative, carbon-fiber-reinforced polypropylene material that is 25 percent stiffer than standard homopolymer polypropylene. Layers of carbon fibers are infused between layers of homopolymer polypropylene which results in zero carbon fiber strand protrusion when finishing.
Help relieve pain and reduce swelling & inflammation by comfortably surrounding painful, inflamed joints with cold therapy! The nontoxic, biodegradable fill in this Swede-O Joint Wrap stays soft and pliable when frozen. The versatile design of the Swede-O® Joint Wrap is more versatile than rectangle packs. Use the adjustable straps to provide compression and secure the pack to the painful area to help provide long lasting, drug free relief.
Whenever I talk about foot pressure-mapping technology during my courses or keynote lectures at international conferences, I am always surprised by the volume of misunderstanding that surrounds force and pressure measurements and questions about differences between them.
By Antonio Robustelli, MSc, CSCS
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