Lower Extremity Review
A University of Bristol, England, engineer has developed a smart shoe insole with hundreds of tiny sensors that could help prevent falls among the elderly. Jiayang Li, PhD, a lecturer in electrical engineering, created the smart shoe insole prototype after noticing his mentor, who still edits research papers at age 89, was becoming unsteady on his feet.
Researchers have engineered a smart hydrogel dressing that replicates the skin’s natural healing process to promote faster and more effective wound closure. The study introduces a composite hydrogel that integrates bacterial cellulose (BC), conductive polypyrrole (PPy), and platelet-rich plasma (PRP) into a single multifunctional platform.
Scientists at the University of Portsmouth, England, have created the first detailed 3D map of how a crucial piece of connective tissue, called calcified fibrocartilage (CFC), in our bodies responds to the stresses of movement and exercise. CFC acts like a biological shock absorber where tendons attach to bone. Damage to the CFC tissue–common in…
The American Diabetes Association® (ADA) recently released the “Standards of Care in Diabetes–2026,” the gold standard in evidence-based guidelines for diagnosing and managing diabetes and prediabetes. Based on the latest scientific research and clinical trials, the guidelines include strategies for diagnosing and treating diabetes in children…
A research team led by Professor Dr. Dietmar Fischer, professor of pharmacology at the University of Cologne’s Faculty of Medicine, and director of the Center for Pharmacology at University Hospital Cologne, both in Germany, has identified a central mechanism that explains limited regeneration in diabetes. Building on this, the researchers have developed a promising therapeutic approach that can be used to increase…
A study from the College of Engineering and Computer Science and the Sensing Institute (I-SENSE) at Florida Atlantic University (FAU), Boca Raton, reveals that foot-mounted wearable sensors and a 3D depth camera can accurately measure how people walk–even in busy clinical environments–offering a powerful and more accessible alternative to traditional gait assessment tools.
Fulgent Genetics Inc., El Monte, California, a technology-based company with a laboratory services business and a therapeutic development business, announced that it has entered into a definitive agreement to acquire selected assets of Bako Diagnostics, Alpharetta, Georgia, and to acquire StrataDx, Lexington, Massachusetts. The proposed acquisition will add new anatomic pathology services…
A team of researchers led by Jess Snedeker, PhD, a professor of orthopedic biomechanics at ETH Zurich and Balgrist University Hospital in Zurich, both in Switzerland, and by Katrien De Bock, PhD, professor of exercise and health at ETH Zurich, has reached a new milestone in their studies of tendinopathy. In the HIF1 protein, they have identified a central molecular driver of tendon problems of this kind. A part of HIF1 acts..
The Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services (CMS) recently published updates in the Federal Register regarding Healthcare Common Procedure Coding System (HCPCS) codes on the Master List that will require prior authorization effective April 13, 2026. The following are the codes on this list that pertain to lower-limb orthoses…
George Mason University, Fairfax, Virginia, researcher Quentin Sanders is part of a collaborative research team working to make high-performance prosthetic limbs more affordable, accessible, and better tailored to the needs of active children. Sanders, along with Jonathon Schofield, an associate professor at the University of California, Davis, and Garrett Melenka, an associate professor at York University, Toronto, Canada, received…
Trulife has been awarded the 2025 Hanger Partner Award for Operational Performance at Hanger Live 2026, recognizing excellence in electronic data interchange transaction accuracy and consistently high on-time delivery performance. The recognition carries particular significance given Hanger’s position in orthotic and prosthetic patient care, known for its clinical network and commitment to…
Spinal cord injury (SCI) rostral to the lumbar locomotor center disrupts communication between the brain and the spinal circuits that control leg movements, leading to paraplegia. A research team led by Dr. Yukio Nishimura of the Tokyo Metropolitan Institute of Medical Science (TMIMS), Japan, in collaboration with Dr. Toshiki Tazoe and colleagues, has now demonstrated a novel…
Researchers at the Nagaland University in India have identified a naturally occurring plant compound called Sinapic acid, a naturally occurring antioxidant found in various edible plants, as a powerful therapeutic agent that can significantly enable wound healing in patients with diabetes. Their study demonstrated that oral administration of Sinapic acid can accelerate diabetic…
Athletes are 2.5 times more likely than the general public to develop nail fungus, according to a study in the Journal of the American Academy of Dermatology. The condition can disrupt training, change performance, and end careers. However, until now, no thorough study has examined how nail fungus affects various sports. Toward this end, Case Western Reserve University and…
In Elisa Arch’s Orthotics and Prosthetics for Enhanced Mobility Lab, at the University of Delaware (UD), Newark, students are exploring how a specially designed ankle-foot orthosis (AFO) from medical device start-up Biomotum, Portland, Oregon, can help people with Achilles tendinopathy (AT) regain mobility. The device, used alongside sensors, is tested on a split-belt treadmill, allowing…
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