Lower Extremity Review
“It’s all Greek to me,” and other versions of this quote are common idioms in modern language to denote communication issues, for example, when patients and practitioners from different specialties use different languages to discuss the same problem. Whatever one thinks of the phrase’s origins, the sentiments of Julius Caesar’s quote from William Shakespeare are clear. We don’t always understand one another.
By Jay Segel, DPM; Sally Crawford, MS
For decades, the treatment pathway for chronic foot and ankle conditions followed a familiar progression: conservative care, escalating symptoms and ultimately, surgery for patients who failed to improve. Today, that pathway is evolving. A growing number of clinicians are incorporating regenerative therapies earlier in the process, offering patients additional options before surgical intervention becomes necessary.
By Keith Loria
If you talk to patients and clinicians actually living and working inside Medicare Advantage (MA), a pattern emerges that doesn’t show up in the glossy ads touting its promise. People are spending an enormous amount of time and energy trying to navigate a system that is supposed to make their lives easier. Clinicians are burning out on the administrative friction that comes with it.
By Mikel D. Daniels, DPM, MBA, President and Chief Medical Officer, WeTreatFeet Podiatry
The Lapidus procedure remains one of the most powerful techniques for correcting hallux valgus deformity, restoring first-ray stability, and addressing pathologic hypermobility at the first tarsometatarsal (TMT) joint. While surgical indications continue to expand, many surgeons still face challenges involving reduction control, fixation strength, maintenance of correction, fusion-site compression, and operating room efficiency.
By Robby Amiot, DPM, FACFAS
Chronic inflammation, difficulty in forming nutrient-carrying capillaries, and overzealous immune cells that attack healing tissue all combine to make diabetic foot ulcers one of the most difficult wounds to treat. Treatments exist but have numerous drawbacks. Natural materials often work better than synthetic for wound healing, encouraging the use of biological products taken from donors
Qwadra, parent company of PodoPrinter, Eindhoven, Netherlands, has entered into an exclusive license agreement with BEGO Medical GmbH, Bremen, Germany, for the use of the patent relating to 3D belt-printing technology in the continuous manufacturing of foot orthotics, or insoles. For several years, Qwadra and PodoPrinter have developed and marketed premium 3D belt printers for orthotists, podiatrists…
Building on the success of projects to boost strength by adding motors to conventional knee, hip, and ankle braces, a University of Michigan (U-M) team is exploring how well this approach could work for relieving knee pain from osteoarthritis (OA). “This could create an entirely new class of orthotic interventions that don’t exist today, which could potentially delay surgery or spare people from having to undergo it…
The Wound Care Collaborative Community (WCCC) announced the publication of their paper, “Proposed Addendum to the 2006 US Food and Drug Administration Guidance on Chronic Cutaneous Ulcers and Burn Wounds: Recommendations from the Wound Care Collaborative Community,” in Wounds. This addendum reflects nearly two decades of scientific and clinical progress.
Lower Extremity Review (LER) and lerEXPO have announced the appointment of Miki Dalmau-Pastor, PhD, as international director of education, further strengthening the organization’s commitment to delivering world-class education to foot and ankle professionals worldwide. The appointment further strengthens LER and lerEXPO’s mission to connect clinicians with innovative, evidence-based education through immersive learning…
The Surefoot footwear collection was engineered entirely around a patient’s custom orthotic. Powered by Amfit® full-contact foot-scanning technology, the collection represents a fundamental shift in how supportive footwear is designed, prescribed, and worn. The result is total alignment for comfort, built to preserve therapeutic intent without compromise. The collection includes a sneaker, classic clog, lined clog, and sandal.
PediFix is introducing a new variation of its popular single Hammer ToeCrutch with an additional toe tip “lip” that provides extra protection for distal irritations. The Visco-GEL® Hammer ToeCrutch has been an effective, comfortable, and popular innovation for hammer, claw, mallet and similar contracted toe conditions. The addition of the extra distal “lip” makes these even more effective for patients with…
The PackGo Rollator Walker, featuring an innovative six-way folding structure, collapses to just one cubic foot, roughly the size of a standard backpack—making it a truly travel-friendly rollator walker for users on the go. The included storage bag supports up to 40 lb, perfect for carrying daily essentials such as medications, water bottles, groceries, or travel items.
Pain Care Labs’ VibraCool® is a U.S. Food & Drug Administration–cleared wearable device that uses a proven mechanical stimulation frequency (M-Stim®) to block pain. Soothing heat or intense freeze-solid ice activates the body’s pain-fighting response, giving patients power over pain post-surgery. The VibraCool Extended treats knee and leg pain beyond post-surgery, from muscle tension and muscle restriction.
Fibrinet® PRF Wound Matrix is designed for the management of exuding cutaneous wounds, including diabetic and venous ulcers, and mechanically or surgically debrided wounds. This system is designed to harness and concentrate a patient’s own platelets and associated growth factors into a durable platelet-rich fibrin matrix (PRFM).
The RehabStride™ AFO foot drop brace was engineered to restore natural gait patterns and optimize the user’s walking experience. It functions not just as a passive support mechanism, but also actively promotes the recovery of dorsiflexion muscle strength, allowing the patient to gradually minimize their reliance on the device’s cable assistance as their condition improves.
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