Lower Extremity Review
Researchers have established that elevated levels of glycated hemoglobin in patients with diabetes are associated with poor outcomes after foot and ankle surgery. Now the challenge is to identify an “acceptable” glycated hemoglobin level below which the benefits of surgery outweigh the risk of complications.
By Naohiro Shibuya, DPM, MS, FACFAS, Jon M. Humphers, DPM, and Daniel C. Jupiter, PhD
One of the most-talked-about images from the 2013 Orthotics Technology Forum (OTF) depicted 11 custom foot orthoses made by 11 experienced orthotists and podiatrists for a single patient. All 11 practitioners had been given the same information about the patient’s condition, yet all 11 orthoses were distinctly different.
The Orthotics Technology Forum presentation given by Ben Boyer, CPed, was as much about what the speaker was wearing as what he was saying. Boyer, who is the lab manager at Kintec in Vancouver, Canada, wore a product he thinks may represent part of the future of orthotic design and manufacture—orthoses he’d printed with a hobbyist-level desktop 3D printer.
The need to replace entrenched processes and thinking with fluid, fast-moving orthotic design and manufacture that minimizes errors and maximizes resources was highlighted by several speakers at the Orthotics Technology Forum, including Jarret Eschenburg, CPed, director of operations at Coral Springs, FL-based SureFit, a subsidiary of Hanger.
Research presented in late June at the annual National Athletic Trainers Association (NATA) meeting in Las Vegas added to the body of evidence suggesting that the effects of ankle bracing are not solely mechanical, and that even the mechanical effects may be more complicated than they seem.
Decreased plantar cutaneous sensation in patients with chronic ankle instability (CAI) is associated with number of prior ankle sprains, according to research from Old Dominion University in Norfolk, VA.
Athletes with a history of severe ankle sprain still demonstrate postural control deficits and report functional impairment even after being medically cleared for full sports participation, according to two studies from A.T. Still University in Mesa, AZ.
Six weeks of lower extremity strengthening in runners with patellofemoral pain (PFP) leads to improvements in pain and function that are retained six months later, regardless of whether the rehabilitation focuses on the knee or the hip, according to research presented in late June at the National Athletic Trainers Association (NATA) annual meeting in Las Vegas.
Self-reported functional scores in patients with bone bruise lesions associated with anterior cruciate ligament (ACL) injury are consistent with severity classifications based on radiographic presentation, according to findings presented in late June at the NATA meeting.
Wearing a functional knee brace significantly alters activation characteristics in several lower extremity muscles, according to research from the University of Virginia in Charlottesville presented in late June at the NATA meeting.
Worn discreetly and comfortably below the knee, the compact, lightweight WalkJoy product aids in the restoration of gait and balance in patients with peripheral neuropathy. Its advanced telemetry provides precise information about a patient’s walking dynamics and...
SureStep Sandals are designed with custom features for children who wear orthotic devices. A flexible sole allows for intrinsic movement, while the added height and longer straps provide the support necessary to be worn with an orthotic device. A special cutline on...
ComfortFit Labs has added a new orthotic device to its SportFit collection. The SportFit Flex is similar to the company’s SportFit device, but is designed for patients who cannot tolerate a semirigid shell. This new device is listed in the company’s 2013 Custom...
Swede-O has launched the Plantar F3 Foot Roller, designed to relieve heel and foot pain in three ways: stretching, cold therapy, and heat therapy. The design of the Plantar F3 has three distinct contact surfaces to isolate the plantar fascia and facilitate stretching...
Peapod Pediatric Orthotics (by Podotech, available from Algeos USA) offer a versatile, cost-effective alternative to custom foot orthoses for clinicians with pediatric patients. The Peapod Dinky is a medium density ethylene vinyl acetate (EVA) device, with a deep heel...
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