Category Archives: Clinical News
October 2019
Bilateral Custom AFOs Reduce Fear of Falling, Up Physical Activity
For older adults who have fears about falling, the daily use of custom-made ankle-foot orthoses (AFOs) with walking shoes is effective in improving balance and reducing fear of falls, according to a recent study published in the journal Gerontology. In the elderly population, falls are a particularly serious problem. According to the US Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, about 3 million older patients are treated in emergency rooms for fall injuries each year.
By Robert Sberna Continue reading
October 2019
Wearable Tech May Enhance Benefits of Structured Exercise
Combining structured exercise with wearable technology interventions designed to enhance non-exercise physical activity (NEPA) may help reduce cardiovascular disease (CVD) in high-risk older adults, according to a October 2019 study published in the online medical journal, Clinical Interventions in Aging. Researchers from the University of Alabama at…
By Douglas J. Guth Continue reading
October 2019
AHA Scientific Statement on CLI Emphasizes Early Diagnosis, Treatment
Critical limb ischemia (CLI), a condition characterized by the narrowing or blocking of arteries that lead to the legs, is the most severe form of peripheral artery disease (PAD) and a leading cause of lower-limb amputation. Moreover, patients with CLI have high mortality rates. As such, early diagnosis and treatment are key, according to a scientific statement recently published by the American Heart Association (AHA) in its journal, Circulation. Continue reading
October 2019
Extra Cushioning May not Help Shoes Prevent Injuries
While innovations in running shoes have helped everyone from top athletes to casual joggers push the boundaries of speed, efforts to determine the characteristics of shoes that will help reduce injury risks are more elusive. In his lab at San Jose State University, JJ Hannigan, PhD, ATC, CSCS, is working to understand the way different levels of cushioning affect gait and running mechanics.
By Nicole Wetsman Continue reading
October 2019
Ankle Replacement System Receives FDA Premarket Approval
The Hintermann Series H3 Total Ankle Replacement System (DT MedTech, Towson, MD), received premarket approval from the US Food & Drug Administration (FDA). This is a non-cemented, implanted medical device intended to replace a painful arthritic ankle joint and improve ankle motion and is indicated for use in the first surgical treatment for the joint.
By Laura Fonda Hochnadel Continue reading
September 2019
Unilateral remote daily temperature monitoring to predict diabetic foot ulcers shows promise
Diabetic foot ulcers (DFUs), the primary antecedent to diabetes-related lower extremity amputation (LEA), are common, costly, and preventable. Following a period of decline in incidence, the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention found the occurrence of diabetes-related LEA had rebounded an alarming 50% percent between 2009 and 2015.
By Lynn Soban, PhD, MPH, RN Continue reading
September 2019
Association Between Running Shoe Characteristics and Lower Extremity Injuries in United States Military Academy Cadets
Running-related overuse injuries are very common among recreational runners with the reported annual injury rates ranging from 39% to 85%. There are few large prospective cohort studies investigating injury risk associated with different running shoe characteristics and they are often contradictory. Our goal was to prospectively investigate the relationship between running shoe…
By Gary Helton, PT, DSc, SCS, OCS Continue reading
September 2019
KneeKG Effective in Management of Knee Osteoarthritis
Knee osteoarthritis (OA), a chronic progressive disease, is a common complaint in adults over age 45. Indeed, osteoarthritis is the most common joint disorder in many countries, affecting for example 13.9% of adults 25 years and older and 33.6% of people 65 years and older in the United States. The challenge for clinicians is the multifactorial nature of the disease and understanding the everyday mechanical factors that affect it. Continue reading
September 2019
An Excerpt: Physical Frailty: ICFSR International Clinical Practice Guidelines for Identification and Management
Frailty is prevalent in all countries and is a leading contributor to functional decline and early mortality in older adults. The condition is defined as “a clinical state in which there is an increase in an individual’s vulnerability for developing an increased dependency and/or mortality when exposed to a stressor.” Frailty can begin before 65 years of age, but the onset escalates in those aged 70 years and over. Continue reading
August 2019
AFOs and FES Offer Comparable Outcomes for Foot Drop in MS Patients
Foot drop is a common presentation in people who have multiple sclerosis (MS). The inability to lift the forefoot off the ground adequately, such as to clear curbs and stairs, affects gait and increases fall risk. Ankle–foot orthoses (AFOs) and functional electrical stimulation (FES)…
By Laura Fonda Hochnadel Continue reading
August 2019
Prevalence of Neuropathic Pain Symptoms
Managing pain in patients with foot and ankle pathology can be a challenge. In addition to nociceptive mechanisms, neuropathic mechanisms can contribute to pain in patients with orthopedic conditions and can be found in 10.5% to 53% of patients with chronic pain, depending on the location of the pathology. Continue reading
August 2019
Orthotic insoles for people with diabetes at-risk of ulceration
This study focused on pressure-relieving orthotic insoles designed for retail footwear and people with diabetes and at risk of first forefoot ulceration. The aim was to investigate whether the pressure-relieving effects of a customized metatarsal bar and forefoot cushioning are sensitive to bar location and shape, and material choice.
By Ana Martinez-Santos, Stephen Preece, and Christopher J. Nester Continue reading
July 2019
Survey Identifies Quality of Care Indicators for AFO Users
Lower limb orthoses are worn by nearly 2 million Americans of all ages. Certified orthotists have reported spending 59% of their time providing lower limb orthoses, of which 18% is spent providing ankle foot orthoses (AFOs). Despite such a substantial time commitment spent providing patients with lower-limb orthoses, and specifically AFOs, patient satisfaction reporting and quality of care assessment have not been fully documented.
By Laura Fonda Hochnadel Continue reading
July 2019
Isokinetic Training + Eccentric Overload = >Muscle Size, >Performance
A team of researchers undertook a study to examine changes in performance and muscle size in young ice hockey players who underwent a program of multiple-joint isokinetic (ISO) resistance training (RT) and eccentric overload (ECC) compared to a control group that underwent a traditional (eg, isotonic) RT program. According to the literature, ISO training and ECC, when…
By Laura Fonda Hochnadel Continue reading
July 2019
Excerpt: Shin Splints, Achilles Tendinopathy Top Running-related Diagnoses Among Injured Recreational Runners
The purpose of the present study was to describe the incidence proportion of different types of running-related injuries (RRI) among recreational runners and to determine their time to recovery.
By Benjamin Mulvad, Rasmus Oestergaard Nielsen, Martin Lind, and Daniel Ramskov Continue reading
July 2019
Skipping Tops Running for Knee Joint Contact Forces and Metabolic Costs
Running’s high rate of sport-related injury is a prime driver of reduced exercise participation, despite its bountiful health benefits. Skipping—that childhood symbol of carefree whimsy—presents a lot like running, but when compared to running, provides unique benefits: shorter steps, reduced vertical ground reaction forces (GRFs), and lower knee extensor torques. Continue reading
July 2019
Gout: Well Known, But Misunderstood
Gout may be well known, but there is a tremendous misunderstanding of what it takes to treat this serious inflammatory disease. Those are among the findings of a recent survey conducted for the Gout Education Society by Wakefield Research. The online survey of 1,000 nationally representative Americans, ages 18+, with an oversampling of 100+ interviews of adults who… Continue reading
July 2019
Early Sports Specialization Tied to Increased Injury Rates in College Athletes
Nearly 60 million children and young teens participate in organized athletics each year with ever-increasing numbers of kids specializing in one sport before the age of 14 with hopes of a college scholarship or professional career on the line. However, researchers presenting their work at the American Orthopaedic Society for Sports Medicine/Arthroscopy… Continue reading
May 2019
Glaucoma = Gait Changes and Fall Risk
early 60 million people worldwide will be affected by primary open-angle glaucoma (POAG) in 2020. The condition, a leading cause of irreversible blindness, typically occurs in people > 40 years of age; risk increases with age. The condition is known to cause difficulty walking, particularly when lighting levels differ, such as on steps, or when crossing the street. Continue reading
May 2019
Inverse Association Between Coffee and Falls
European researchers have found an inverse association between habitual (ie, daily) coffee drinking and the risk of falls in the elderly—and that inverse association was particularly strong among those who drank caffeinated! The association also held (although not to the same extent) for a lower risk of injurious falls. Continue reading
May 2019
EXCERPT: Foot Orthoses Alter Lower-limb Biomechanics in Basketball Players—Flat Feet or Normal Arch
Flat-footed persons are believed to have poorer jump performance compared to those who have a normal arch. Foot orthoses are commonly used to support the deformed foot arch and improve normal foot function. However, it is unclear if use of foot orthoses affects jump performance in athletes.
By Malia Ho, Pui Wah Kong, Lowell Jia-Yee Chong, and Wing-Kai Lam Continue reading
May 2019
Infographic on Running Related Injuries
Biomechanical risk factors associated with running-related injuries: a systematic review. The incidence and prevalence of running-related injuries (RRI) is high. Biomechanical factors may play a role in the etiology of these injuries. This systematic review synthetizes biomechanical risk factors related to the development of RRI. Continue reading
April 2019
New Tool to Assess Clubfoot Treatment
Congenital talipes equinovarus, or clubfoot, is a common deformity in which the affected foot is fixed downward and inward. The birth prevalence of clubfoot in low- and middle-income countries is estimated to be 0.5 to 2.0 cases for every 1000 … Continue reading
April 2019
Peak Tibial Accelerations as Real-time Measure of Impact Loading
Studies seeking to determine the effects of gait retraining through biofeedback on peak tibial acceleration (PTA) assume that this biometric trait is a valid measure of impact loading that is reliable both within and between sessions. However, data was lacking for the validity and reliability of these measures at the speed of endurance runners.
By Pieter Van den Berghe Continue reading
