Category Archives: Archives
January 2011
Townsend Design UniReliever Brace
Townsend Design announces its new UniReliever brace, one of eight osteoarthritis braces offered by the company. The UniReliever is a single upright, rigid aircraft aluminum brace engineered to be a lightweight, low profile solution for maintaining alignment and reducing load … Continue reading
January 2011
Skier’s Edge Training Machine
The Skier’s Edge Company has added the elite QS5 machine and QS5 upgrade kits to its line of training and exercise devices. Skier’s Edge machines are designed to simulate the balance, stability, and strength required for skiing and other sports … Continue reading
January 2011
Circumferential Shell Ankle Walker
Elite Orthopaedics introduces a new full circumferential shell ankle walker for Grade 2 & 3 ankle sprains, stable foot and ankle fractures or trauma, post-operative and rehabilitation purposes. The Advantage FS Air Walker is now available in Small, Medium and … Continue reading
January 2011
Voltage Isolator 4 Infiniti
Thought Technology, a biofeedback and psychophysiological instrument manufacturer, launched its new Voltage Isolator 4 Infiniti isokinetic dynamometer interface. The Volt- age Isolator 4 Infiniti is an interface device that provides electrical isolation. It allows Thought Technology’s systems (sensors + encoder … Continue reading
January 2011
THINKING SMALL: Making strides in children’s footwear
It was my first trip to buy shoes for my then-toddler son. He had just started walking with the aid of helping hands, and as I stared out at a sprawling display of shoes inside a high-end children’s shoe department, I felt utterly confounded. Some of the shoes felt soft, others were hard-soled and stiff, many were akin to moccasins. I was assaulted by all manner of colors and patterns and styles, each one different from the next. Massaging my eyes, I wanted to only to leave.
By L.W. Barnes
January 2011
Out on a limb: Minding the gap
Not long ago, I was chatting with the new girls’ volleyball coach at my local area high school, and she mentioned that one of her goals was to focus on injury prevention. Specifically, she planned to emphasize shoulder strengthening. So I asked the obvious follow-up question: What about preventing anterior cruciate ligament injuries?
Jordana Bieze Foster, Editor
January 2011
AFO users must rethink concept of ‘normal’ gait
Ankle foot orthoses can make a neuromuscular patient’s gait pattern more like that of an unaffected person, but the devices can also be associated with compensations of their own. And in some patients, a more ‘normal’ gait pattern is not necessarily going to be more functional.
by Cary Groner
January 2011
Foot and ankle exercises in patients with diabetes
Guidelines recommend cardiovascular and strengthening exercises in patients with diabetes, but flexibility exercises focused on the foot and ankle can impart added benefits. Improving range of motion can positively affect gait, pressure distribution, and risk of foot ulceration.
By Pamela D. Ritzline, PT, EdD, and Audrey Zucker-Levin, PT, PhD.
January 2011
Postop bracing after ACL reconstruction
Bracing is often recommended after anterior cruciate ligament reconstruction, in the interest of controlling range of motion and protecting the graft as it heals. However, few studies have scientifically examined this practice, and the available findings are conflicting.
By Laura Chachula, Kenneth L. Cameron, PhD, ATC, LTC Steven J. Svoboda, MD, and LTC Brett D. Owens, MD
January 2011
Orthotic intervention for metatarsalgia relief
Research suggests that metatarsal pads and other off-loading techniques can help alleviate painful symptoms in patients with metatarsalgia. Orthotic intervention, in conjunction with correct shoes, can be an important component of improving quality of life for these patients.
by Paul R. Scherer, DPM
January 2011
Articular cartilage rehab: Guidelines for treatment
A scientifically based approach to rehabilitation of articular cartilage lesions starts with restoration of passive range of motion followed by a progressive resistance training program for muscle strengthening, with particular attention to joint alignment.
By Walter L. Jenkins PT, DHS, ATC, LATC
January 2011
Revisiting ACL injury
Theories posit complex mechanisms
In recent years, discussions of anterior cruciate ligament injury biomechanics have increasingly concluded that the mechanism of such injuries is likely multifactorial, with a number of different lines of research each contributing a piece of the puzzle. Now some investigators are beginning to articulate just what these multifactorial mechanisms might entail.
January 2011
Achilles rupture redux
Two studies back nonsurgical approach
Nonoperatively treated Achilles tendon ruptures are no more vulnerable to re-rupture than those treated surgically as long as early mobilization is part of the protocol, according to two randomized studies that appear to contradict current evidence-based thinking.
January 2011
French study links leg stiffness, power to jump height, speed in tennis players
A French study suggests that leg stiffness and power in tennis players are each significantly correlated with countermovement jump height and running speed—two factors that earlier research linked to competitive performance. Investigators from the Universite du Maine in Le Mans, … Continue reading
January 2011
Five weeks of assisted training boosts jump height in elite volleyball players
Taking a load off during training may help volleyball players jump higher, according to Australian research published in the January issue of the Journal of Science & Medicine in Sport. Assisted jump training, in which 10 kg of assistance was … Continue reading
January 2011
Two tests in days after stroke predict independent walking 6 months later
Two simple tests performed within 72 hours of an ischemic stroke can help predict the likelihood of achieving independent gait after six months, according to research from the Netherlands. In 154 first-ever ischemic stroke patients who were unable to walk … Continue reading
January 2011
Slow responses should put the brakes on driving with right foot immobilized
Army researchers are recommending that patients not drive with an immobilization device on their right foot, based on a study suggesting that such devices significantly increase braking response time. Investigators from Brooke Army Medical Center in Fort Sam Houston, TX, … Continue reading
January 2011
Thuasne expands American presence with acquisition of Townsend Design
Bakersfield, CA-based Townsend Design was acquired in January by the wholly-owned North American subsidiary of French orthopedic soft-goods manufacturer Thuasne. Thuasne (pronounced Two Ann) leads the European market in the fabrication and distribution of elastic bandages, non-rigid braces and compression … Continue reading
January 2011
pediped foundation makes debut
Children’s footwear manufacturer pediped is rolling out its new charitable foundation with a fundraiser featuring steep discounts on select styles. During the Purchases with Purpose fundraiser, which runs from Jan. 5 to Feb. 6, select styles available online will be … Continue reading
January 2011
Dr. Comfort sponsors local Tour de Cure
Mequon, WI-based diabetic footwear manufacturer Dr. Comfort has joined forces with the American Diabetes Association as a sponsor for the 2011 Greater Milwaukee Tour de Cure. Taking place Saturday June 18th, at Grafton High School, the Greater Milwaukee Tour de … Continue reading
January 2011
Nigg’s book on sport shoes debuts
A new self-published book from University of Calgary biomechanist Benno M Nigg, PhD, “Biomechanics of Sport Shoes,” is now available. The content of this book concentrates on human locomotion with specific emphasis on mobility and longevity and its application to … Continue reading
January 2011
ACFAS website wins industry award
The American College of Foot and Ankle Surgeons’ consumer website, FootHealthFacts.org, has been honored with a Bronze Award for website excellence in Association Trends’ 2010 All-Media Contest. The website was chosen among more than 470 entries in the annual association … Continue reading
January 2011
PFA seeks symposium presentations
The Pedorthic Footcare Association (PFA) is now accepting presentations for the 52nd Annual Symposium, which will take place Nov. 10-13, 2011 in Albuquerque. The PFA is seeking presentations that address the topics of arthritis, biomechanics, business development, diabetes, general pedorthics, … Continue reading
January 2011
Delcam rolls out 2011 enhancements
Fort Myers, FL-based Delcam has announced new versions of its OrthoModel and OrthoMill software for the design and manufacture of custom orthotic insoles. The major enhancement in the 2011 version of OrthoModel is that it gives users greater control over … Continue reading
December 2010
Out on a limb: Shop and learn
The J. Peterman Company is probably best known as the erstwhile employer of Elaine Benes on “Seinfeld.” But the company and its distinctive catalogs made a lasting impression on me when I first came across them years earlier.
Jordana Bieze Foster, Editor
