Dirty Truth: #8 Every step is different – The Importance of Tracking Gait Variability Through Aging. This dirty truth sits like an unrecognized norm in our DNA and plays out like a knee-jerk reaction until we give it a little thought. We have 2 legs, 2 knees (no pun intended), 2 ankles, and 2 feet. The general public thinks they are the same in both form and function, but that is rarely the case.

By Jay Segel, DPM; Sally Crawford, MS

One simple step in every patient evaluation can help save limbs and potentially save lives: assess the feet and lower legs for temperature on every patient who enters your office. A basic infrared temperature gun is inexpensive, easy to use, and widely available. Many clinicians already have one at home. These devices typically cost around $20–$25 and can be easily incorporated into daily clinical screening.

Like many physicians, coming out of residency I thought I’d fix the world one bunion at a time.  Somewhere between my 745 and 746th bunion procedure, I came to the realization that while I was helping to relieve the pain my patients were feeling, this might not be a way for me to make a difference. Taking an objective look at my practice, I decided to focus on diabetics. That was the point that made me ask how I could make a practice financially viable with this as a focus.

By Mikel D. Daniels, DPM, MBA, President and Chief Medical Officer, WeTreatFeet Podiatry

Achilles tendon ruptures are among the most devastating lower extremity injuries an athlete can face. Historically, the medical community has been divided between traditional open surgery and non-operative management. While open surgery effectively lowers the risk of re-rupture, the posterior ankle’s poor blood supply can sometimes lead to severe wound complications that can end careers. High-profile cases, such as NFL player Robert Mathis and…

By Kirk McCullough, MD

The current model for managing diabetic foot syndrome is characterized as reactive and fragmented, contributing to a global crisis where a limb is lost to amputation every 20 seconds. Dr. Bijan Najafi, a bioengineer and research director at UCLA Center for Advanced Surgical and Interventional Technology (CASIT), says that “we can’t manage what we can’t measure,” advocating for a shift toward decentralized, proactive care facilitated by digital health technologies.

By Bijan Najafi, PHD, MSc