The purpose of this brief report was to refresh a 2007 data summary comparing diabetic foot complications to cancer with the best available data as they currently exist. Since that time, more reports have emerged both on cancer mortality and mortality associated with diabetic foot ulcer (DFU), Charcot arthropathy, and diabetes-associated lower extremity amputation.
Lower Extremity Review
Gait Speed as Risk Tool for Falls
Keeping older adults physically active is critical to health maintenance and walking is a key form of exercise for this population. However, foot pain represents a leading cause of mobility limitations and lower quality of life in older individuals. Nearly 25% of adults report foot pain, and those with frequent foot pain are at double the risk of falling.
Improved Patient-Provider Relationship Boosts Outcomes
While a good patient-provider relationship has been the bedrock of today’s much-needed patient satisfaction scores, such relationships are also proving to boost functional outcomes. In a recent study published in the Annals of Family Medicine, physician researchers from Case Western Reserve University…
“Renal Foot” – Angiographic Patterns in Chronic Limb Threatening Ischemia + Renal Disease
Patients with chronic limb threatening ischemia (CLTI) and end-stage renal disease (ESRD) have greater risk of limb loss compared to those with CLTI alone. These researchers investigated angiographic patterns in patients with CLTI and evaluated for differences based on ESRD status.
Wound Care Update: Can Bioabsorbable Borate-based Glass Fibers Support Wound Healing?
With increasing demand for biomaterials that have the ability to support wound healing, tissue engineers have been challenged to develop innovative bioactive scaffold materials. In general, bioactive materials have the mechanical properties of the tissue to be replaced while supporting biological activities such as cellular adhesion, proliferation, differentiation, and angiogenesis.
By Windy Cole, DPM, CWSP
Foot Drop: A Primer
Foot drop, a complex condition that can have a significant impact on independent ambulation, can have many causes. Treatment options vary by cause. These authors provide a review of the condition from etiology through treatment. Foot drop (also known as steppage gait) is an inability to lift the forefoot due to the weakness of dorsiflexors of the foot. This, in turn, can lead to an unsafe antalgic gait, potentially resulting in falls.
By Subhadra L. Nori, MD, and Michael F. Stretanski, DO
A New Ankle–Foot Orthosis Using Wire for Stroke Patients with Foot Drop
Researchers from Korea have developed a new type of AFO that uses neoprene and a novel wire configuration for use with foot drop after stroke. Foot drop can be a sequela of stroke. An ankle–foot orthosis (AFO) is the most widely used method to prevent foot drop in patients with stroke, and is used during weight-bearing training of the limb on the affected side or when there is ankle spasticity or deformity.
By Jung-Hoon Lee, Im-Rak Choi, and Hyun-Su Choi
Pain Reduction Methods for Peripheral Neuropathy
As obesity and type 2 diabetes continue to be growing public health burdens, clinicians will be faced with increasing numbers of patients who suffer from their complications, in particular, peripheral neuropathy. These authors review the multiple medications available to help. A 2015 report published in the Journal of Pain, found that…
By Shana Shetty, DPM PGY3, and Marshall G. Solomon, DPM FACPM, FACFAS
Inventor’s Corner: BioSensics’ Wearable Technology Supports Aging in Place
In 2007, wearable sensor technology was just gaining traction. Applications (known as apps) largely focused on fitness and wellness, measuring things like numbers of steps and hours of sleep. However, Ashkan Vaziri, Ph.D., and a few friends had an idea for a different approach: They believed that wearable sensors with medical applications could help older adults remain independent as they age.
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