Lower Extremity Review
5.5 million children and adolescents are injured playing sports annually. Most of these injuries are preventable, the CDC says. More than 30 million children and adolescents participate in organized sports in the United States; according to the Centers for the Disease Control and Prevention (CDC), that number is on the rise.
By Warren J. Potash
New research invigorates arguments about limb salvage vs. more proximal amputations. A recent paper from researchers in Australia has reignited the ongoing debate about the relative merits of partial-foot versus transtibial amputations, particularly in diabetes patients.
By Cary Groner
Limited research into electromagnetic and ultrasound bone stimulation devices complicates efforts to determine efficacy. For the majority of people, lower-limb fractures and fractures in other parts of the body heal well and reliably. However, some people experience complications that may cause significant harm.
By Nicole Wetsman
For help limiting the number of opioid tablets you prescribe—and to still treat postop pain successfully—turn to practice guidelines, evidence from the literature about local and regional anesthesia techniques, and constraints of the law.
By Robert G. Smith, DPM, MSc, RPh, CPed, CPRS
Taping is a mainstay of preventive foot blister management in athletes and active people. Its use is based on the premise that rubbing causes blisters, and that tape protects the skin from this rubbing and/or provides thermal insulation from the heat generated by rubbing.
By Rebecca Rushton, Bsc(Pod)
Here’s why resistance therapy with these low-tech tools is gaining prominence—for youth soccer players, geriatric patients, and everyone in between. Elastic resistance bands are increasingly popular in physical therapy as the modality is being used to treat a wide number of lower-extremity problems on a diverse patient population that covers everyone from youth sports players to seniors.
By Keith Loria
Key options include immobilization, weight bearing restrictions, NSAIDS, orthotics, padding, and shoe modifications. The first report of osteochondrosis of the second metatarsal head was in a series of six cases presented by Dr. Alfred H. Freiberg at the Southern Surgical and Gynecological Association in 1913. The data was published the following year.
By Kerry Sweet, DPM, FACFAS; Rebecca Omana-Daniels, DPM; and Valerie Marmolejo, DPM
Falls are a significant—yet preventable—health issue among older adults. Each year, 3 million older Americans over the age of 65 are treated in emergency departments for fall-related injuries which often result in disability, loss of independence, reduced quality of life, and death.1 The number of falls is expected to rise as Americans live longer and the number of older adults continues to grow at an unprecedented rate.
By Aisha Cobbs, PhD
The 2019 AGS Beers Criteria® includes 5 lists of nearly 100 medications or medication classes to avoid or use with caution for some or all older adults. The American Geriatrics Society (AGS) recently unveiled its latest update to one of geriatrics’ most frequently cited reference tools: The AGS Beers Criteria® for Potentially Inappropriate…
What’s causing the worsening signs and symptoms that are eroding the patient’s quality of life? Once that question is answered, what treatment should be pursued? In this case study, we describe the work-up and management of a woman whose illness was characterized by multiple vesicles and pustules and itching, scaling, and redness of the feet (as well as the hands), that progressed over months.
By Carla Benson, DPM
While the predominant view on the relationship between an elevated body weight and its effect on tendons, muscles, bones, and joints is grounded in the physical stress effects of body weight, the role of inflammation is becoming better understood.
By Robert Creighton, DPM
Does obesity affect balance and serve as an indicator of fall risk in this vulnerable population? The burden of obesity is rising at an alarming rate for older adults.
Excerpt By Thurmon E. Lockhart
New somatic practice uses repeated movements, breath awareness and rhythmic patterns to loosen joints and ease muscle tension. The GYROKINESIS® Method* is a unique form of somatic practice that is gaining popularity around the world. The Gyrokinesis Method promotes a holistic approach to health and well-being that could be useful to a variety of populations.
By Marianne Adams, MA, MFA
Aesthetic devices respond to emotional needs and can lead to “positive conversations”. In the early 1900s in the United Kingdom, the National Health Service considered glasses and spectacles medical devices—designed to be functional, but without any consideration of style and experience.1 As a result, said Stefania Sansoni, PhD, companies that made eyeglasses didn’t think about their appearance. “They were thinking about not attracting attention,” she said.
By Nicole Wetsman
National Biomechanics Day (NBD) 2018—April 11, 2018—continued building excitement for the field by engaging 11,000 young students across 150-plus sites around the globe. The home-grown events allow high school (and younger) students to experience first-hand a field that underlies orthopedics, exercise physiology science, physical therapy, and countless other fields that involve human movement and performance.
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