Lower Extremity Review
Researchers at Osaka University, Japan, have used experimental data and Bayesian inference to study the control of leg motion during walking, and find that intervention occurs only when discoordination exceeds a certain threshold, which may improve rehabilitation methods.
The Independence Stand-Up Walker™ is designed with joy and change in mind. To accomplish this, the medical device has a tubular frame for easy transport and storage with a vertically and horizontally tapered pole (narrower at the top, both in width and depth), which inherently adds stability. The Independence Walker’s large diameter pivoting wheels mean that rolling over uneven floors or gaps in tile are no problem.
Chronic conditions such as diabetes and peripheral vascular disease were the leading cause of amputation for more than 60% of patients treated at Indiana University Center for Limb Loss (CLL), a Level 1 Trauma Center, according to a new retrospective study. In looking at the electronic medical records of 218 amputee patients who…
The US Amputee Football Federation (USAFF) provides participants with an environment and opportunity to regain hope that may have been lost after amputation. Through a sense of teamwork, competitiveness, and achievement, participating in football/soccer allows those with amputations to build physical strength, improve body awareness, balance, and coordination, and develop social skills.
By reducing weight, lead times, and costs, 3-D printing or additive manufacturing (AM) offers significant opportunities for better customization in orthotic and prosthetic development. Today’s state-of-the-art scanning technologies allow for the design of components with complex geometries that can improve the functionality of orthoses and prostheses.
While 3D printing has dramatically accelerated the customization process for manufacturing orthotics and prosthetics, it’s often today’s post-processing technologies that make those applications possible. The ability to create washable and sealed surfaces that maintain material properties or the chance to add any color you want – from Pantone to customized skin colors and all of that matching the standards for biocompatibility is a real game changer.
A recent survey found that experienced orthotic and prosthetic (O&P) device users with a chronic disability liked the range of care they received from certified O&P providers, were “very satisfied” with the device-related goals they had achieved, and reported they could not maintain their current level of function without certified P&O providers.
Prosthetic device users have a wide range of needs and prosthetists need to be aware of varying product offerings to meet those needs. Pseudo-prostheses allow able-bodied users to understand ambulation in a specific device, providing critical education about new products as well as ongoing training for evolving products.
A fundamental understanding of the way soft interface materials compare to one another provides insight to the clinician and fabricator. Example: Compare different types of polyurethane and their accompanying reported data. Some data has been collected into the comparison chart on the right…
According to a new study1 by researchers at the University of Maryland School of Medicine, multiple sclerosis (MS) is more prevalent – particularly among Black Americans – than previously thought. Using de-identified health insurance claims of 96 million adults living in the United States, the research team was able to estimate in more detail how many individuals age 18 and…
A new scoping review from Japan suggests that low-frequency and low-intensity vibration therapies helped effectively treat wounds (including pressure injuries, diabetic foot ulcers, and venous leg ulcers) by improving blood flow, relieving pain, reducing exudate, removing necrotic tissue, and increasing the expression of nitric oxide associated with wound healing.
Chronic ankle instability (CAI) is diagnosed when symptoms (perceptions of the ankle ‘giving way’, pain, weakness, or limited ankle range of motion) have persisted for more than 1 year after an initial lateral ankle sprain. Therapeutic exercise is a key treatment for overcoming neuromuscular deficits in CAI. In this study, researchers from…
User metabolic power during walking in flat-soled shoes decreased following daily high-heel use. High heels remodel leg muscle-tendons & improve walking economy regardless of footwear condition.
The inaugural meeting of the Tai Chi & Qigong as Whole Person Health Conference was held in Boston, MA, in September 2023. It was hosted by the Osher Center for Integrative Medicine and jointly sponsored by the Harvard Medical School and Brigham and Women’s Hospital. Nearly 300 experts, professors, researchers, and professionals from…
Patients with knee and hip OA frequently have pain, muscle weakness, impaired joint proprioception, and poor balance, which are important risk factors for falls. Falls and osteoarthritis (OA) are major public health problems. The incidence of falls and fractures increases with age, and knee OA and hip OA are also highly prevalent in older populations.
By Youyou Zhang, Xiaoxi Li, Yining Wang, Liru Ge, Faming Pan, Tania Winzenberg, and Guoqi Cai
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