Lower Extremity Review
A new treatment algorithm for patients with patellofemoral pain syndrome (PFPS), designed by researchers at Nationwide Children’s Hospital in Columbus, OH, was associated with clinically significant improvement in pain and disability in a
recent pilot study.
By P.K. Daniel
Patients cleared to return to play six months after anterior cruciate ligament (ACL) reconstruction do not appear to have significantly better functional ability than those who are not cleared, according to research from Duke University Medical Center in Durham, NC.
By P.K. Daniel
Mild low back dysfunction and poor core muscle endurance are modifiable predictors of core and lower extremity sprains and strains in college football, according to a study from the University of Tennessee at Chattanooga that analyzed three seasons of data.
By P.K. Daniel
Practitioners treating a patient with ankle osteoarthritis (OA) may want to ask if the patient has a history of back pain, according to a recent study that found an association between lumbar disc degeneration and ankle OA in cadavers.
By Larry Hand
Adults aged between 20 and 55 years with hip or knee osteoarthritis (OA) report significantly higher levels of distress and disability and poorer health-related quality of life than the general population for that age range, according to research from the University of Melbourne in Australia.
By Jordana Bieze Foster
Incident radiographic knee OA is preceded by two to three years of prodromal symptoms, which may present an opportunity for intervention, according to research from Keele University in Staffordshire, UK.
By Jordana Bieze Foster
Anterior cruciate ligament (ACL) injury experts are increasingly thinking outside the biomechanics box in an effort to better understand the factors that contribute to injury risk, which I think is admirable. But there’s one factor in particular that I wish was receiving more attention.
By Jordana Bieze Foster, Editor
As hip arthritis becomes a growing concern in adults with Down syndrome, clinicians are also becoming more attuned to hip issues in children with DS, in hopes that early intervention in the pediatric population will help reduce the risk of disability later on.
By Shalmali Pal
Once pain and inflammation have been addressed, clinicians can implement interventions—including orthotic devices, stretching, and strengthening—to address the biomechanical factors that are believed to contribute to heel pain and other symptoms in this population.
By Erin Boutwell
Evidence supports the use of foot orthoses for PFP, but their mechanism of action is not well understood. New research suggests the effect of orthoses on timing of frontal plane moments may be an important variable.
By Thomas Gus Almonroeder, DPT, and Kristian O’Connor, PhD
My husband Phillip and I used to live in Manhattan Beach, CA, a charming and affluent coastal town just south of Los Angeles. We resided two blocks from the wide, sandy beach. We took advantage of The Strand—a pair of concrete pathways that run for about two miles in front of many multimillion-dollar homes.
By P.K. Daniel
Anterior cruciate ligament injury experts met in Greensboro, NC, to examine the extent to which biomechanics and other less-familiar factors—including joint laxity, fatigue, neurocognitive function, and genetics—may contribute to noncontact injury risk.
By Jordana Bieze Foster
Clinicians know walking while performing a secondary task can be particularly difficult for elderly patients or those with neuromuscular impairments. But new research suggests the use of orthotic devices may improve dual-task gait, which could significantly improve quality of life.
By Cary Groner
Increasing numbers of studies are suggesting that exergaming can help improve strength, balance, and other variables in older adults, but clinicians also need to be aware that some aspects of exergaming can present challenges in this patient population.
By Ying-Yu Chao, RN, GNP-BC, PhD
Research suggests the use of rhythmic stimuli for gait rehabilitation can help improve gait and balance in patients with Parkinson disease, stroke, and other conditions, but some questions regarding its overall applicability and optimal delivery method remain.
By Greg Gargiulo
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