Lower Extremity Review
Eleven male middle-distance runners were tested on an instrumented treadmill to characterize the contributions of functional muscle groups to running at six wide-ranging speeds (10-30 km/h). These results reinforce the importance of the plantar flexors for running at $18 km/h, as they made the largest contribution of any muscle group, not just during stance, but also to whole stride positive and negative work (45%-35%), despite their relatively modest size.
The new SoftFoot Pro is a motorless, flexible, waterproof prosthetic foot that is inspired by the anatomy of the human extremity. Designed by the Istituto Italiano di Tecnologia (IIT, Italian Institute of Technology), Genoa, its design is unique on an international level and aims to serve both as a flexible technological prosthesis for people with limb loss and as a solution for humanoid robots of the future.
Osteochondral defects (OCDs) can cause damage to cartilage and underlying bone, leading to chronic pain and loss of joint function. Depending on the extent of damage, individuals must undergo surgical treatment, the most extensive being total knee replacement. Toward this end, Melissa Grunlan, PhD, a professor in the Department of Biomedical Engineering at Texas A&M University, received a…
Researchers from the National University of Singapore (NUS) and the Agency for Science, Technology and Research (A*STAR) have developed a novel sensor, which is produced using a scalable and cost-effective manufacturing process called screen printing. It enables the continuous, real-time detection of solid-state epidermal biomarkers (SEB)—a new category of health indicators.
Researchers at Stanford University report that they have developed a wireless smart bandage that has shown promise in speeding up tissue repair by monitoring the wound healing process and treating the wound simultaneously. The researchers said that their device promotes faster closure of wounds, increases new blood flow to injured tissue, and enhances skin recovery by significantly reducing scar formation.
In November 2021, Northwestern University researchers introduced an injectable therapy, which harnessed fast-moving “dancing molecules,” to repair tissues and reverse paralysis after severe spinal cord injuries. Now, the same research group has applied the therapeutic strategy to damaged human cartilage cells. The treatment was shown to activate the gene expression necessary to regenerate…
VertaCat is a new all-terrain mobility rider that lifts people with limited mobility into a standing position, enabling challenged walkers to play golf and other sports again. Made in the United States, VertaCat’s electric stand-up assist system provides padded chest, waist, and knee straps that securely lift the user into an upright stance where they can grab a golf club with 1 or 2 hands.
The Revitalign® Gaia athletic walking shoe for men is expertly crafted to deliver unmatched comfort, stability, and orthotic support for active lifestyles. The sneaker is designed to meet the diverse needs of men seeking style, foot health, and performance in 1 shoe. Marking Waco Shoe Company’s debut in fitness-oriented walking shoes for men, the Gaia features an engineered outsole…
Enovis™ has redefined revision knee surgery by expanding its EMPOWR Revision Knee™ system to include EMPOWR™ Cones. The addition of the stackable tibial, femoral, and diaphyseal cones increases options for treating bone defects, creating a comprehensive portfolio to support complex revision needs. The US Food & Drug Administration cleared use of the EMPOWR Cones with…
Continental’s BAL.ON Smart Kit provides golfers with real-time swing analysis and coaching using 2mm-thin pressure-sensing insoles and an artificial intelligence (AI)–powered smartphone app, to efficiently guide users to a better swing and lower scores. The kit consists of a pair of pressure insoles that are inserted into the golf shoes, Bluetooth smart pods, and a smartphone app.
The Cadense Energy Boost Performance sock is made using Hologenix’s CELLIANT proprietary minerals. When embedded into socks, CELLIANT captures body heat and converts it into infrared (IR) energy—to increase local circulation and cellular oxygenation—which is reflected back into the foot and lower leg. The result is enhanced thermoregulation, reduced muscle soreness, and…
Genium X4 is the next generation of Ottobock’s Genium family of prosthetic microprocessor knees (MPKs). Building on the proven Optimized Physiological Gait (OPG) technology and rugged durability of its predecessors, the MPK offers improvements in user experience across a wide range of challenging professional and everyday situations.
The medical field continues to experience rapid technological advancements, providing us with critical graphs and quantitative measurements that validate what we see, the qualitative findings. For healthcare professionals charged with understanding and addressing gait, recognizing the correlation of what happens during weightbearing and the challenges/costs to the musculoskeletal system is key.
By Jay Segel, DPM; Sally Crawford, MS
Wound care is an evolving science, but if there’s one lesson I’ve learned, it’s this: healing isn’t just about using the latest product—it’s about knowing when and how to use it. Early in my career as a family physician, I saw a number of chronic wounds stagnate despite standard treatments. Patients were frustrated. So were we. The limitations of traditional approaches were clear, but what wasn’t clear was…
By Cassandre Voltaire, DO
Background: An estimated 46.5 million United States (US) households owned a cat in 2023-2024. Interactions with cats may result in injury. The objective of this study is to describe cat-related falls and hits affecting the lower extremity. Methods: Cat-related falls (falls, trips, slips, jumped down) and hits (hit or other contact with an object) affecting the lower extremity during 2000-2023 were…
By Mathias B. Forrester, BS
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