Lower Extremity Review
New research suggests lower extremity clinicians should consider implementing gait training in combination with targeted strengthening of the peroneus longus and gluteus medius muscles to help restore normal gait patterns in patients with chronic ankle instability.
By Rachel Koldenhoven, MEd, ATC
Preventing deep venous thrombosis and pulmonary embolism after lower extremity surgery can involve pharmaceutical therapies or mechanical interventions. The type of prophylaxis used depends on the type of surgery, pre-existing risk factors, and patient preference.
By Barbara Boughton
In distance runners, step-rate manipulation of at least 10% above a runner’s preferred rate may be an effective clinical gait retraining method to decrease the severity of foot inclination angle at heel strike and…
By Darrell J. Allen, PT, DPT, MS, SCS, CSCS; Hollie Heisler, PT, DPT; and Jennifer Mooney, PT, DPT
Achilles tendinopathy is a common lower extremity injury in athletes as well as nonathletes. The Achilles tendon is often a site of injury in runners and is the second most common running-related musculoskeletal injury, after medial tibial stress syndrome, with an…
By Howard Kashefsky, DPM
Helping patients manage an orthotic device can be challenging, but doing so in the face of uneven terrain is a balancing act between stability, mobility, and strength. Device adjustments and rehabilitation protocols can help patients avoid asymmetries and reduce the risk of falling.
By Shalmali Pal
Recent research supports the idea that increased patellofemoral stress is a contributing factor in runners with patellofemoral pain, and that gait retraining to promote a…
By Jenevieve L. Roper, PhD; Deborah L. Doerfler, PT, DPT, PhD; Christine M. Mermier, PhD; and Janet S. Dufek, PhD
Rotating the foot in or out during gait is associated with significant decreases in frontal plane knee load during early or late stance, respectively, and can be effective for reducing pain and potentially slowing the progression of…
By Kevin Alan Valenzuela, ABD, CSCS; and Hunter Jared Bennett, PhD
The results of a retrospective chart review suggest that the use of plasma-mediated bipolar radiofrequency-based arthroscopic microdebridement is associated with notable decreases…
By Renato Giorgini, DPM, FACFAS; Stephanie Giles, DPM; Omer Aci, DPM; and Christopher Japour, DPM, MS
Turf toe is a common injury in football players competing on artificial turf, but it also occurs in soccer and baseball players on natural grass and other playing surfaces. Turf toe is a sprain of the capsule of the first metatarsophalangeal (MTP) joint; increasing grades of injury may include…
By Patricia Pande, MClScPT, CSCS, CPed
Support is growing, in the medical literature and in clinical practice, for the use of skin substitutes and other advanced biologic therapies in chronic diabetic foot ulcers. But researchers and practitioners remain uncertain as to which of these advanced products are best for…
By Hank Black
Study findings regarding strengthening interventions in runners with patellofemoral pain syndrome have been inconsistent, perhaps because specific subgroups are more responsive than others. Preliminary research suggests high school runners may make up…
By Lace Luedke, PT, DPT, PhD, OCS, CSCS
Limb length discrepancies (LLDs) as small as 1.5 cm can significantly affect gait, and some clinicians choose to intervene in cases of even smaller discrepancies. Many LLDs can be addressed orthotically, but surgical techniques are becoming less invasive and more effective.
By Cary Groner
With the rise of a new crop of young stars and the anticipation of its Olympic debut this year, golf continues to be immensely popular for players and spectators alike. Golfing is a highly coordinated sport that, by its nature, is associated with risk of…
By Patricia Pande, MClScPT, CSCS, CPed
In worker’s compensation cases, including those involving knee osteoarthritis, an expert witness often will be asked to use his or her knowledge of biomechanics to provide an opinion supporting or refuting a causal relationship between work conditions and an overuse injury.
By Steven T. McCaw, PhD
Multiple techniques can help improve gait speed after stroke, from therapeutic exercise to task-specific training to orthotic devices. Despite a growing body of research in this area, however, it is still not clear which intervention is most appropriate for which patients.
By Hank Black
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