Category Archives: Archives
October 2010
Interactive Foot and Ankle DVD
The Interactive Foot and Ankle DVD-ROM from Primal Pictures is a comprehensive and detailed DVD-ROM image library and reference tool for an in-depth view of foot and ankle anatomy. Users can choose from hundreds of highly detailed and labeled views … Continue reading
October 2010
Leg Loop Leg Lift
Designed for people with limited or no use of their lower extremities, Maddak’s new Leg Loop Leg Lift helps patients to safely reposition the leg and foot while reducing the chance of dropping the affected limb, which could cause bruising … Continue reading
October 2010
Ankle Shield Pads
Ouchless Technologies introduces new patented Ankle Shield Pads designed to eliminate inflammation and speed recovery after ankle injury. When used with a standard tape job or brace, the pads also guard against inversion sprains. The contoured pad fits comfortably over … Continue reading
October 2010
Sof Sole Airr Insole
Sof Sole announces the new Airr performance insole, engineered with special air pocket cushioning technology to create a better running experience for both amateur and professional athletes. The design applies the concept of air bag technology to the foot, with … Continue reading
October 2010
FitFlop Mukluks
FitFlop offers classic short and tall Mukluks equipped with an ergonomically shaped, muscle-toning Microwobbleboard midsole and a breathable, deluxe sheepskin upper. FitFlop footwear is biomechanically engineered to help tone and tighten leg muscles during walking, based on the Microwobbleboard technology … Continue reading
October 2010
Military Medicine: What it means for civilian practitioners
The military – a wellness utopia of active and healthy young adults who must maintain fitness and weight standards to remain in good standing. Personnel medical histories are part of vast military databases that practitioners and researchers use to chart trends and examine the evolution of treatments. Unlike with civilian medicine, patients and their outcomes can be followed through years-long stretches, offering a view that is otherwise hard to come by.
By L.W. Barnes
October 2010
Out on a Limb: Cold cuts
For centuries, the Greeks set the bar for the rest of the world to follow—in architecture, in literature, in medicine. Now they appear to be setting a new kind of example in health care. But we can only hope the rest of the world knows better than to follow their lead this time around.
By Jordana Bieze Foster
October 2010
Strengthening the case for carbon fiber AFOs
Clinicians are already embracing carbon-fiber ankle foot orthoses, which provide a dynamic assist and may even help strengthen calf muscles in patients with foot drop. Now, slowly, research is exploring how these devices can best be used.
by Cary Groner
October 2010
Plantar pressure and gait in patients with diabetes
Researchers have explored numerous offloading strategies to decrease plantar pressures in patients with diabetes, but few have studied whether making a deliberate change to a patient’s walking pattern might have a similar effect on pressure distribution.
by Mansoo Ko, PhD
October 2010
Splinting and stretching for plantar fasciitis pain
Evidence suggests that calf muscle stretching, whether manually or with the aid of a brace or splint, can help alleviate plantar fasciitis pain. What’s less clear is which protocol is most effective.
By Neena K Sharma, PT, PhD, CMPT, and Gurpreet Singh, PT
October 2010
Stair negotiation alters stability in older adults
Nowhere are the effects of aging on gait mechanics and neuromuscular control more apparent than on the stairs, an all- too-common site of fall-related injuries in older adults. Prevention starts with understanding the unique demands of stair ascent and descent.
By Alison C. Novak, MSc, Samantha M. Reid, MSc, Patrick A. Costigan, PhD, and Brenda Brouwer, PhD
October 2010
OA bracing may bolster prehabilitation protocols
Preoperative exercise has been shown to improve total knee arthroplasty outcomes, but may not be feasible in patients with severe pain. Bracing and other offloading methods may be able to help.
By John Kenney, CO, and Robert Hamblen, MD
October 2010
Insoles stand test of time
Six months may be too soon to replace – Diabetic insoles may not need to be replaced as frequently as previously thought, according to research from the U.K. presented in September at the second International Foot and Ankle Biomechanics (i-FAB) conference.
October 2010
MRI reveals intrinsic muscle atrophy in patients with plantar fasciitis pain
Plantar intrinsic foot muscles associated with plantar fasciitis have significantly smaller cross sectional area than those in healthy feet, according to research from the University of Massachusetts in Amherst, MA.
October 2010
History of clubfoot treatment affects kids’ activity only slightly by age of 10
Children treated for clubfoot as infants grow up to be active 10-year-olds who can keep pace with their peers during almost all activities, according to research from the Texas Scottish Rite Hospital for Children in Dallas.
October 2010
EMG characterizes FAI
Altered activation isn’t just at the ankle – Two studies presented at the second International Foot and Ankle Biomechanics conference add to the evidence that treatment of chronic ankle instability should focus on improving feed-forward neuromuscular control mechanisms.
October 2010
Rearfoot motion in runners responds to pronator-supinator strengthening
Strength training focused on the pronation and supination affects rearfoot motion in runners to a greater extent than traditional plantar- and dorsiflexion training, according to research from the University of Duisburg-Essen in Germany.
October 2010
Study identifies gender differences in biomechanics of kicking in soccer
Gender differences in leg alignment and muscle activation during a soccer kick may in turn help explain gender differences in knee injury risk, according to research from the Hospital for Special Surgery in New York City.
October 2010
AFX improves jump height, balance
The Ankle Foot Maximizer (AFX) from Progressive Health Innovations can significantly improve performance in college basketball players, according to research from the University of British Columbia presented in September at the International Foot and Ankle Biomechanics (i-FAB) meeting. Seven players … Continue reading
October 2010
Pressure experts discuss standards
Researchers, engineers, and practitioners interested in gait analysis convened at the i-FAB meeting in Seattle to discuss and refine an international consensus statement on standardization of pressure measurement devices that is currently in development. The initiative, which has the support … Continue reading
October 2010
JMS Plastics shows its purple heart
In honor of Pancreatic Cancer Month, JMS Plastics will donate a portion of the November sales of its new purple materials: Neolon, J-foam HR EVA, and lavender swirl EVA. Purple is the official color of Pancreatic Cancer Month. Qualifying sales … Continue reading
October 2010
Organization honors Haiti volunteers
At its Celebrate the Nations reception in September, Physicians for Peace honored the many organizations and individuals behind its ongoing efforts in Haiti. Mary Anne Kramer-Urner, PT, the organization’s first volunteer at the Haitian Amputee Clinic at Albert Schweitzer Memorial … Continue reading
October 2010
Levy & Rappel owner will be missed
Bob Kramer, owner of Saddle Brook, NJ-based Levy & Rappel, died on Sept. 25 after a long battle with prostate cancer. Kramer, a retired dentist, bought the orthotics company in 1993 and embraced its longstanding commitment to individual customer attention. … Continue reading
October 2010
FitFlop affects foot motion, loading
The FitFlop flip flop, which has been anecdotally reported to reduce lower extremity and low back pain, significantly alters foot motion and loading, according to research presented at the i-FAB meeting in September. In 17 asymptomatic female subjects, researchers from … Continue reading
October 2010
BOC announces new website launch
The Board of Certification/Accreditation, International, announced in September the launch of its new website, www.bocinternational.org. The new design makes it fast and easy for visitors to obtain information on BOC, certification, and facility accreditation. It also provides directories of certificants … Continue reading
