Lower Extremity Review
The American Board for Certification in Orthotics, Prosthetics and Pedorthics has donated $10,000 to the Amputee Coalition’s Bridge to Ability Fund in memory of Todd F. Anderson, CP, FAAOP. Anderson, former vice president of business services for Otto Bock Healthcare...
Rockaway, NJ-based Allard USA announces future dates and locations for its two-day educational program “Tomorrow’s Orthotic Technology Education.” TOTE courses are scheduled for June 20-21 in Louisville, KY; June 27-28 in Denver; July 21-22 in Springfield, MA; July...
Injuries in softball pitchers typically occur in the upper extremities, but focusing rehabilitation and prevention efforts on the upper body alone ignores the essential supporting roles played by the pelvis and lower extremities in providing a stable base for the pitching motion.
By Gretchen D. Oliver, PhD, ATC, LAT
AFOs must find energy balance – The extent to which carbon composite ankle foot orthoses improve gait efficiency in stroke patients may be a function of walking speed, according to a Swedish study. And despite the fact that the devices are known for their energy storage, research from the Netherlands suggests that the relationship between energy storage and energy cost may be complicated.
Is earlier intervention needed? Researchers and clinicians are only beginning to understand the relationship between pediatric flexible flatfoot and obesity, which becomes even more complicated in the context of orthotic treatment. Findings from Hong Kong appear to throw another wrinkle into the mix, suggesting that obese children are significantly slower to respond to orthotic therapy than their normal-weight counterparts.
Biomechanics may offer clues – Too often, by the time Charcot neuroarthropathy is diagnosed, it is too late to do much more than accommodate the resulting deformity. That’s why researchers from Germany and the U.K. are working to find ways of screening for patients at risk for Charcot, which would facilitate earlier and more effective intervention.
But placebo findings raise questions – Three German studies presented at the ISPO meeting in Leipzig confirm that bracing for knee osteoarthritis is associated with both symptom improvement and biomechanical effects. But the findings also suggest that the relationship between those two sets of outcome measures is more complicated than one might think.
Fancy camera systems not required – A pressure measurement system is an essential clinical tool for maximizing orthotic outcomes that too many practitioners are not yet utilizing, according to two presentations at the FIP meeting in Amsterdam.
Freedom Fabrication introduces the 2nd Ankle, a flexible ankle gauntlet designed to simulate the physiology of the human body. Artificial tendons provide support where the patient needs reinforcement. When a patient with posterior tibial tendon disorder is fitted with...
New from FareTec, the CT-EMS traction splint is engineered to allow quick and effective leg traction in the field. The traction splint utilizes carbon tubing and a 4:1 pulley system to allow leg traction without the need to transport a bulky device. The CT-EMS...
New from Fabrifoam Products is the Tarsal Support Wrap (TSW). Similar to the company’s top selling Pronation Spring Control device, the TSW is used to treat plantar fasciitis, chronic heel pain, and excessive pronation. Designed with Fabrifoam’s new Enthra therapeutic...
Non-Invasive Monitoring Systems has launched a new, non-invasive, drug-free, FDA Class I (exempt) therapeutic medical device called the Exer-Rest. The Exer-Rest features NIMS patented technology called Whole Body Periodic Acceleration, an efficient way for the body to...
Dent-Eq offers glass bead sterilizers for sterilizing metal instruments used in podiatric practice. Available in Model BS-300 and BS-500, units are compact enough to be placed chairside on any laminar air flow work bench or other workside tables in a clean room...
Corganics offers Relief over-the-counter, non-prescription analgesic, newly available in a roll-on application. Relief is composed of a proprietary blend of essential oils, MSM, L-arginine, menthol, aloe barbadensis leaf juice, and vitamin E. Essential oils include...
Dry Corp offers the new DryPro prosthesis protector, which fits over the prosthesis to offer complete waterproof protection. The DryPro prosthesis protector is engineered with a patented watertight vacuum seal that stays secure until the seal is released. A hand pump...
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