Lower Extremity Review
Computer aided manufacturing is anything but a one-size-fits-all proposition. Customers have a range of variables to choose from, and making the right decision in most cases depends on knowing what type of orthotic material the machine will be asked to handle.
The use of technology to improve orthotic design is not limited to CAD-CAM applications, as demonstrated by University of Salford researchers in two presentations at the Orthotics Technology Forum.
The fledgling field of additive manufacturing is still somewhat fragmented, as evidenced by the fact that the same technology can be described as rapid prototyping or 3D printing. But additive manufacturing’s profile is definitely on the rise, and its advocates are optimistic that lower extremity clinical applications are right around the corner.
The shift away from aggressive surgery to correct clubfoot in now all but complete, according to research published in July in the Journal of Pediatric Orthopaedics (JPO). The study shows the Ponseti method is now the treatment of choice for the vast majority of practitioners and that increased understanding of the technique has resulted in better outcomes.
Korean surgeons have developed an alternative to Achilles tendon lengthening for reducing plantar pressure and promoting wound healing in patients with diabetic foot ulcers.
A subsensory level of mechanical noise delivered directly to the foot soles of healthy older adults during walking has the potential to normalize gait variability and possibly reduce the risk of falls, according to research published in July in Gait & Posture.
US Paralympic track and field athlete Richard Browne will compete in the London games wearing Freedom Innovations’ Catapult Running Foot, a high-tech prosthetic designed to maximize energy return. Browne is slated to compete in the 100-m dash and the high jump and...
San Diego-based DJO Global’s surgical business unit signed a deal in July with the University of Utah, Salt Lake City, to develop an alternative to traditional socket technology, a percutaneous osseointegrated prosthesis (POP) for above the knee amputees. The POP...
Napa, CA-based ProLab Orthotics and the College of Podiatric Medicine, Western University of Health Sciences, Pomona, CA, will hold “Solutions to Foot Pathology” in the Napa Valley October 19-21. During the seminar, which coincides with the annual grape harvest,...
Ferndale, WA-based Superfeet Worldwide assumed direct responsibility in July for all its European distribution through a new operations center in Edinburgh, Scotland. Superfeet will also begin distributing its products and systems directly to retailers in the UK and...
Boston-based Tekscan is slated to host three gait and foot function analysis seminars this fall on plantar pressure mapping technology. Seminars are scheduled for September 15-16, Washington DC; October 13-14, Fort Worth, TX; and November 17-18, Toronto, Canada. For...
Commerce City, CO-based Mile High Orthotics Lab helped fund the first annual scholarship grants awarded June 30 by the Texas Podiatric Medical Foundation at its state meeting in Galveston. The recipients of the grants, which were open to Texas residents with orthotic...
An international scientific group has published its final consensus document on plantar pressure measurement devices. The Pedobarographic Group of the International Foot and Ankle Biomechanics (i-FAB-PG) released the paper in July, presenting the group’s consensus on...
In July Pennsylvania Gov. Tom Corbett approved HB 48, which amends the Pennsylvania Medical Practices Act of 1985 to provide for licensure of prosthetists, orthotists, pedorthists, and orthotic fitters. The new law sets standards of professional conduct and requires...
Studies suggest that ankle foot orthoses can improve balance in some individuals, so it might seem logical that they would also help prevent falls. But the medical literature has yet to reveal a direct connection between AFOs and falls risk, and as a result the issue has become a magnet for debate.
By Cary Groner
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