Lower Extremity Review
Physical activity reduces the risk of many chronic illnesses and increases the odds of a longer, healthier life. But it hasn’t been clear whether the benefits of exercise differ based on when during their lives people are most active.
By Sharon Reynolds
Over 30 million Americans have diabetes and 1.5 million Americans are newly diagnosed with diabetes each year. Peripheral neuropathy (PN) is a major diabetic complication and affects 30% to 50% of people with diabetes. Diabetic peripheral neuropathy (DPN) is a leading cause of devastating outcomes such as foot ulcer and amputation.
By Bijan Najafi and Gu Eon Kang
Foot orthoses are considered to work by controlling internal rotation of the tibia and eversion of the calcaneus, and have been reported to be effective during weightbearing activities such as walking and running. As a result, they have been shown to be effective in managing a range of musculoskeletal conditions—not the least of which is patellofemoral pain.
By Sarah Curran, PhD, FCPodMed
Hamstring strain incidence in soccer increases during the latter stages of match-play, consistent with experimental studies that report reduced eccentric hamstring strength during soccer-specific fatigue. The biarticular function of the hamstring is such that fatigue-induced changes in strength are also likely to have an impact on…
By Matt Greig, MPhil, PhD
Early recognition and treatment of Charcot neuroarthropathy has been long considered paramount to optimizing clinical outcomes and delivering high-quality care. Without this rapid response to control the devastating effects of Charcot, patients are left with significant deformities; increased risk of ulcers, infection, and…
By Jonathan M. Labovitz, DPM, FACFAS, CHCQM
Stroke often impairs walking, particularly by altering foot clearance during the swing phase. Activity of the tibialis anterior (TA) plays an important role in foot clearance; clinicians often prescribe an ankle-foot orthosis (AFO) for post-stroke patients to help with foot clearance.
Osteoarthritis (OA) affects nearly 50% of patients who undergo anterior cruciate ligament reconstruction (ACLR) within 2 decades after surgery. The mechanism of OA development has been elusive; many experts theorize that disruption of knee–joint tissue homeostasis is key. Now, researchers, using ultrasonography (US), have found an increase in the thickness of the anterior femoral cartilage and cross-sectional area 3 years postoperatively.
In a narrative review of old and innovative concepts concerning pressure and stiffness in lymphedema therapy, the authors of a study just published in Phlebology found that the current literature does not appear to be in sync with the array of options available today.
Amputations on the Rise – After decades of decline, diabetes-related lower-extremity amputations appear to be on the rise in the United States, according to new data from the Nationwide Inpatient Sample of the US Healthcare Cost and Utilization Project and the National Health Interview Survey of the National Center for Health Statistics, part of the US Centers for Disease Control and Prevention.
When New York state legalized medical cannabis, geriatrician Zachary Palace, MD, CMD, realized that many of the conditions that qualified for the drug were those that he saw regularly in the elderly—like chronic or neuropathic pain, Parkinson’s disease, and multiple sclerosis.
By Nicole Wetsman
Infographic by Chris Tuckett, Physiotherapist BSc MCSP. Tuckett is based in The Princess Alexandra Hospital NHS Trust, based in Harlow, Essex, UK. Based on: Harvey JA, Chastin SFM, Skelton DA. Breaking sedentary behaviour has the potential to increase/maintain function in frail older adults. J Frailty Sarcopenia Falls. 2018;3(1):26-34. doi: 10.22540/JFSF-03-026.
The U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA) has concluded there is an increased risk of death with Uloric (febuxostat) compared to another gout medicine, allopurinol. This conclusion is based on its review of results from a safety clinical trial that found an increased risk of heart-related death and death from all causes with Uloric.
Pedorthic Footwear: Assessment and Treatment, a 578-page resource with 550 illustrations, is the result of an ambitious and unique collaboration of international authors and is edited by Klaas Postema, Karl-Heinz Schott, Dennis Janisse, and Gerardus M. Rommers. In total, 54 authors (physiatrists, pedorthists, movement scientists, and physiotherapists) from 7 countries contributed.
With homelessness on the rise, a recent systematic review sought to characterize the foot problems of homeless persons, based on the available literature. The review included 17 articles with study populations from the United States, the United Kingdom, France, and Italy.
Human anatomy guidelines group the ankle ligaments by two ligament complexes: the lateral collateral ligament and the medial or deltoid collateral ligament. Now, a University of Barcelona (UB) research team has defined a new anatomic structure in the ankle, the lateral fibulotalocalcaneal ligament complex (LFTCL).
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