Category Archives: Clinical News
June 2020
Cooling Insoles Offer New Approach to Diabetic Foot Ulcer Prevention
A new cooling insole developed by UT Southwestern scientists reduced the foot temperature of patients with diabetic neuropathy by several degrees, diminishing a significant risk factor for diabetic foot ulcers. This new device, detailed in an article published in The Journal of Foot & Ankle Surgery, could eventually prevent thousands of diabetes-related amputations each year. Continue reading
June 2020
Sjogren’s Musculoskeletal Pain Not Related to Enthesitis
An assessment of entheses involvement using ultrasonography has found that musculoskeletal pain in patients with Sjogren’s Syndrome is not due to enthesitis. This prospective study included 25 Sjogren’s female patients (mean age, 53.2 + 11.3 yrs) and 25 sex and age-matched controls (mean age, 50.6 + 9.7 yrs), who all… Continue reading
May 2020
SELECTFLEX ORTHOTICS WITH ADJUSTABLE ARCH TECHNOLOGY
Alliance Design & Development Group (ADDG) has pioneered what it describes as the first and only orthotics with adjustable arch technology. ADDG engineered SelectFlex insoles to help prevent the many ailments that often afflict those who work on their feet all day, particularly in industrial fields like… Continue reading
May 2020
Starting with gait retraining: an analysis of changes in impact over time
The repetitive impact that is experienced upon collision with the ground may be related to running injuries but is modifiable. Lower-impact running can be achieved by receiving biofeedback in response to the peak tibial acceleration, but when are runners adapting to lower-impact running?
By the Biomechanics of Human Movement research group of Ghent University Continue reading
May 2020
Fragility Fractures, Bone Health Management, and Caregiving
Patients who have fragility fractures may experience a disruption of their responsibilities as caregivers to family members and others who depend on them. The purpose our study was to examine how caregiving responsibilities were associated with, and possibly impacted by, the fracture experience and the resulting management of bone health.
By Joanna Sale, PhD Continue reading
May 2020
Does Physical Activity Relate to Motor Development?
Do certain kinds of physical activity (PA) help children develop motor skills better than others? To find out, researchers from East Carolina University used data from 342 children who had taken part in the 2012 National Youth Fitness Survey to look at specific kinds of PA and motor skill development in preschool-aged children. Continue reading
May 2020
Prevalence of Obesity in US Continues Upward Trend
Nearly 1 out of every 2 US adults will be obese by 2030, and nearly 1 in 4 will be severely obese, according to estimates published in the New England Journal of Medicine. Researchers used 1993-2016 data on 6.3 million US adults who participated in the Behavioral Risk Factor Surveillance System to project the prevalence of different body-mass index (BMI) categories through 2030. Continue reading
April 2020
Preventing Re-ulceration in Diabetes
In a recent short review, Michael J. Mueller, PT, PhD, FAPTA, provided 5 evidence-based suggestions for helping patients with diabetes and peripheral neuropathy (PN) safely and effectively increase their mobility after a healed foot ulcer. Mueller is a professor of physical therapy and radiology at Washington University School of Medicine in St. Louis. Continue reading
March 2020
AFO Configuration Can Improve Efficacy of the Orthotic Intervention on Gait Patterns in CP Patients
Cerebral Palsy (CP) represents the most common cause of motor disability in childhood with dysfunctional gait being one of the main problems. Early adoption of intervention programs adapted to the patient’s functional limitation and disability represent the current standard of care; therapeutic approaches include Ankle-Foot Orthoses (AFOs) for which the evidence shows they…
By Keith Loria Continue reading
March 2020
Negative-Pressure Wound Therapy in Diabetic Foot Ulcers
Use of negative-pressure wound therapy (NPWT) is growing in the management of complex wounds as well as foot and ankle surgery. Researchers from Rush University Medical Center in Chicago and Wake Forest Baptist Health Center in North Carolina recently published a review of the evidence for NPWT in Foot & Ankle International. Their findings related to diabetic foot and neuropathic ulcers are excerpted here. Continue reading
March 2020
Updated Treatment Guideline for OA Published
The American College of Rheumatology (ACR) and the Arthritis Foundation (AF) partnered to update and publish the 2019 ACR/AF Guideline for the Management of Osteoarthritis [OA] of the Hand, Hip and Knee. Last published in 2012, the updated guideline includes contributions to the literature since the last publication, and for the first time direct patient participation was incorporated.
By Laura Fonda Hochnadel Continue reading
March 2020
What you need to know about coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19)
Coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) is a respiratory illness that can spread from person to person. The virus that causes COVID-19 is a novel coronavirus that was first identified during an investigation into an outbreak in Wuhan, China. COVID-19 is spreading from person to person in parts of the United States. Risk of infection with COVID-19 is higher for people who are close contacts of someone known to have COVID-19, for example healthcare workers, or household members. Continue reading
February 2020
One Claudication Question May Be Quick Screen for PAD
Peripheral Arterial Disease (PAD) affects more than 200 million adults around the world. If identified early, PAD is highly treatable and may prevent patients from suffering major adverce cardiac events (MACE) and major adverse limb events (MALE). The most important criterion for definition of PAD is an ankle-brachial index (ABI) below 0.90.
By Lynn Soban, PhD, MPH, RN Continue reading
February 2020
Science Meets Fun on National Biomechanics Day: April 8, 2020
National Biomechanics Day (NBD) is a worldwide celebration of biomechanics in its many forms for middle- and high-school students and their teachers. Designed to introduce biomechanics science and its applications to young minds around the world, the event seeks to teach young people about all that biomechanics contributes to society with the hope of encouraging them to pursue it as a career. Continue reading
February 2020
Study Shows Heel Lifts Affect Biomechanics, Muscle Function
Clinicians use a variety of in-shoe heel lifts to treat a range of musculoskeletal conditions. The mechanics of how these orthotic devices work, however, is unclear. So a group from LaTrobe University in Australia put together a study that asked this question: Do heel lifts affect lower limb biomechanics and muscle function during walking and running? Continue reading
February 2020
1064-nm Laser Technique Shows Positive Results for Onychocryptosis
Onychocryptosis, more commonly known as in-grown toenail, affects nearly 20% of all patients who present a foot problem to their doctor. Current treatments include incisional procedures and nonincisional procedures, such as chemical matrixectomies and physical matrixectomies using a carbon dioxide laser.
By Keith Loria Continue reading
February 2020
Custom AFO With Walking Shoes Improves Balance, Reduces Fear of Falling for Seniors
Research shows that one out of every four older Americans falls annually. Fall-related injuries continue to be a costly and debilitating health risk, costing the US healthcare system about $50 billion annually. More importantly, falling once doubles an older adult’s risk of falling again, increasing their fear of falling and negatively impacting quality of life. Continue reading
January 2020
Aquatic Walking Relieves Arterial Stiffness in PAD
Aquatic walking can help relieve arterial stiffness among patients with peripheral artery disease (PAD), according to results from a clinical trial published in the Journal of Applied Physiology. The study also showed that aquatic walking boosts patients’ ability to tolerate exercise, cardiorespiratory capacity, and muscular strength, and that patients are largely more inclined to maintain this exercise regimen.
By Chuck Green Continue reading
January 2020
Study Examines Treatment of Chronic Wound Pain with Long-Acting Lidocaine Gel
According to 2004 figures, about 6 million people suffer from chronic wounds due to bedsores and vascular, inflammatory, and rheumatologic sources, with medical costs for this care reaching almost $10 billion.* Opioids and non-opioid treatments are often used to manage the pain associated with these chronic wounds but come with issues such as the potential for addiction or abuse.
By Laura Fonda Hochnadel Continue reading
January 2020
Rehab May Improve 1st MTP Arthrodesis Long-term Outcomes
While arthrodesis of the first metatarsophalangeal (MTP) joint is known to alleviate pain from osteoarthritis in the hallux, long-term outcomes vary, with nearly 20% of patients reporting dissatisfaction with the surgical outcome. “There are a number of patients who have symptoms of pain, metatarsalgia, lateral toe arthritis or… Continue reading
January 2020
Are Lateral Ankle Sprains Being Treated Correctly?
Lateral ankle sprain is the most common injury in physically active populations, yet some believe those who sustain an acute lateral ankle sprain may not receive timely formal rehabilitation and are at an increased risk to have subsequent sprains which can lead to chronic pain and instability.
By Keith Loria Continue reading
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
