Lower Extremity Review
Topical Gear, a company that designs protective gear for female athletes, has released the Pro Taco. A taco-shaped buttress applies topical pressure to the anterior talofibular and calcaneofibular ligaments and two foam buttresses apply pressure to the neuroreceptors...
Pro-Tec Athletics introduces The Orb, a deep tissue massage ball. The Orb allows for a multidirectional roll for targeting specific lower extremity areas. The high-density device is designed to reduce muscle fatigue and tightness, promote flexibility, and enhance...
The Tola neuromuscular release system now includes the Tola Strap, making it more effective and easier to use. The Tola Strap allows the user to relax the target muscles and apply pressure to hard-to-reach areas without assistance. The 8-ft adjustable strap can be...
Practitioners know patients who feel that ankle foot orthoses (AFOs) hinder their sartorial style are less likely to be compliant, but many clinicians feel ill-equipped to give fashion advice. That’s when the expertise of a stylist, seamstress, or personal shopper can come in handy.
By Shalmali Pal
Lower extremity amputation (LEA) rates in the US continue to fall, according to an analysis published in July that confirms earlier research demonstrating a steady decline beginning in the 1990s.
Orthotic therapy in patients with diabetes and a history of foot ulcers was associated with dramatic decreases in reulceration and amputation rates, according to data from Spanish researchers at the Universidad Complutense de Madrid.
Researchers from Taiwan confirmed that insoles with removable plugs reduce forefoot plantar pressures in patients with diabetic neuropathy, and those pressures are further reduced by adding arch support.
Landing biomechanics have long been a focus of anterior cruciate ligament (ACL) injury research, but they may also be predictive of lower extremity stress fracture, according to a study presented in July at the American Orthopaedic Society for Sports Medicine (AOSSM) meeting in Chicago.
Two recent studies underscore the association between core muscle function and risk factors for anterior cruciate ligament injury.
Stochastic resonance stimulation (SRS) more effectively improves balance in patients with functional ankle instability (FAI) when optimized based on each patient’s sensory threshold than when all patients receive the same treatment, according to research from Virginia Commonwealth University in Richmond.
One of the biggest challenges in sports injury prevention is that the sheer number of potential injuries makes it prohibitive to screen for all of them. But what if there was a single test that could be used to screen for all lower extremity injuries? It’s not as farfetched as you might think.
Landing and change of direction in volleyball can put players at risk of anterior cruciate ligament (ACL) injury. Few ACL prevention studies have focused on volleyball, but players can benefit from screening and intervention programs that have been shown to be effective in other sports.
By Joanne L. Parsons, MSc, PT, CAT(C)
Not only do basketball players have many of the same risk factors for plantar fasciitis as the general population, they also have the added challenge of a grueling season and very little opportunity to rest. That means practitioners have had to be creative when it comes to treatment.
By P.K. Daniel
A number of different gait modifications have been demonstrated to significantly reduce the knee adduction moment in patients with knee osteoarthritis (OA). Now research suggests gait retraining can also help reduce the pain associated with knee OA and improve function.
By Pete B. Shull, PhD
When preventive measures have been exhausted, various surgical approaches can be employed to provide each diabetic patient with a functional, biomechanically sound foot that is free of infection, while minimizing the risk of future lower limb complications.
By Gabriel V. Gambardella, DPM, and Peter A. Blume, DPM, FACFAS
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