Lower Extremity Review
The latest research on patellofemoral pain (PFP) syndrome suggests that different mechanisms are responsible and treatments must be tailored accordingly. A new imaging study has drilled down into the source of PFP, offering evidence of a link between the syndrome, bone metabolic activity, and increased mechanical stress.
By Shalmali Pal
Tight hamstrings play an important role in plantar fasciitis, according to a study published in the June issue of Foot and Ankle Specialist. “These findings show that while we always consider the tightness of the gastrocnemius/soleus complex and the subsequent restricted ankle motion from this equinus, we also need to consider the role of the hamstrings,” said Jonathan Labovitz, DPM, lead author and associate professor at Western University of Health Sciences, Pomona, CA.
By Katie Bell
A customized CAD-CAM system can streamline each step of creating custom foot orthoses. Experts say proper preparation is the key to managing this technology’s workflow. Philip Wells, BSc (Hons) Podiatry, technical support manager for Stepahead and Salts Techstep in Birmingham, UK, emphasized the way in which creating a more efficient workflow improves profitability for a practice.
By Stephanie Zultanky Pavlou
Pressure measurement technology can differentiate between the impact forces of a stability shoe and a flexible shoe during gait, according to a preliminary study presented in August at the annual meeting of the American Society of Biomechanics in Long Beach, CA.
By Katie Bell
The J. Peterman Company is probably best known as the erstwhile employer of Elaine Benes on “Seinfeld.” But the company and its distinctive catalogs made a lasting impression on me when I first came across them years earlier.
Jordana Bieze Foster, Editor
An increasing number of patients with diabetes are taking advantage of a Medicare benefit for therapeutic shoes, but more could make use of the preventive measure to avoid further complications and possible amputation, practitioners say. Posing an obstacle, however, are the increased paperwork demands and looming fee cuts to physicians by the Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services (CMS).
With so much emphasis placed on proper diabetic footwear, especially for those who suffer from peripheral neuropathy, patients with diabetes may not realize how crucial the size, fit, fiber, and construction of socks also are. Since socks are an integral part of treatment, the following do’s and don’ts may help practitioners educate patients about proper sock selection and wear.
When a new material comes on the scene, industry experts say that training and common-sense techniques go a long way toward understanding how best to handle it—whether the issue is safety or the durability of the finished device.
Children’s feet grow so irregularly and so fast. As every parent can attest, their children seem to outgrow sneakers and maryjanes in lightspeed. But this headache isn’t the only problem. According to two recent European studies, children’s ill-fitting shoes can pose a health dilemma as well.
Selecting the right prosthetic liner for an amputee patient is a complex problem that clinicians grapple with daily. They find themselves constantly weighing trade-offs between liner features. Cushioning and comfort inevitably must be balanced with durability. More cushioning decreases how long the liner will maintain its shape and protective properties before deteriorating.
The explosive growth in research and clinical applications for plantar pressure measurement devices (PMDs) has led to efforts to standardize protocols so that data can be more easily interpreted and compared by scientists and clinicians.
Despite research suggesting diabetic foot orthoses may need replacing only once a year, practitioners say there are a number of clinical reasons why an individual patient might need new insoles more often.
Numerous studies, and significant clinical experience, suggest that ankle foot orthoses help increase gait speed in post-stroke patients with hemiplegia or drop foot. Not all research supports this conclusion, however…
Despite the awareness among researchers that patients with knee osteoarthritis (OA) have impaired proprioception, the clinical implications of these deficits remain unresolved. Some scientific evidence indicates that impaired proprioception is linked to increased pain in knee OA, but whether impaired proprioceptive acuity results in progression of the disease remains uncertain.
The extent to which stretching and strengthening exercises successfully address plantar fasciitis continues to be a matter of debate among practitioners. Variables known to be associated with the condition include obesity, reduced ankle dorsiflexion, and work-related weight-bearing.
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