Lower Extremity Review
Hip strength is associated with performance on the Star Excursion Balance Test in female collegiate athletes, a finding that adds to the evidence that hip strengthening programs can…
By Jatin P. Ambegaonkar, PhD, ATC, OT, CSCS; Lindsey M. Mettinger, MS, ATC; Shane V. Caswell, PhD, ATC; Andrea Burtt, MS, ATC; Shruti J. Ambegaonkar, PT, PhD; and Nelson Cortes, 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
The most common paradigm in bunion surgery relies on one or more metatarsal osteotomies to correct the 1-2 intermetatarsal angle (IMA) and soft tissue balancing to align the first metatarsophalangeal joint (MTPJ), sesamoid apparatus, and hallux. Additionally, the most common approach…
By Paul Dayton, DPM, MS, FACFAS, and Merrell Kauwe, DPM
Roughly 60% of overuse injuries in high school athletes occur in the lower extremities, injuries that are increasing in number as more students participate in sports. Treatment involves rest and correction of biomechanical deficiencies, and should be individualized to each athlete.
By Allison Schroeder; James Onate, PhD, AT, ATC, FNATA; and Thomas Best, MD, PhD
The American Physical Therapy Association has updated its 2008 guidelines on the nonsurgical treatment of heel pain with a bolstered evidence base, but lower extremity practitioners continue to debate the clinical merits and most effective applications of certain newer therapies.
By Hank Black
Psychological factors are responsible for delayed return to sports after anterior cruciate ligament reconstruction in a significant number of patients despite successful physical rehabilitation, but questions remain as to the most effective ways to address these issues.
By Trevor A. Lentz, PT, SCS, CSCS
Early mobilization and weight bearing after Achilles tendon repair is associated with improved patient satisfaction and faster return to work and sports, with no significant increase in rates of tendon rerupture or postoperative wound and nerve complications.
By David P. Taormina, MD, and Nirmal C. Tejwani, MD
Researchers and clinicians have found that plantar pressure assessment can help document the dynamic effects of hallux valgus surgery, postoperative physical therapy, and footwear or orthotic interventions, particularly in cases…
By Hank Black
A protocol that includes isolated hip strengthening exercises during the early stages of postoperative rehabilitation after anterior cruciate ligament reconstruction may provide a platform on which to build in the later stages of rehab and may predict future performance.
By J. Craig Garrison, PhD, PT, ATC, SCS
Athletes swear by it, but quality studies on elastic therapeutic tape are hard to come by, and the literature is littered with conflicting or inconclusive findings about the technique’s efficacy…
By Cary Groner
In the search for factors that predict recurrence after use of the Ponseti method for successful treatment of idiopathic clubfoot, conclusive evidence is in short supply. However, the one factor that is…
By Rachel Y. Goldstein, MD, MPH
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