Lower Extremity Review
The shift away from aggressive surgery to correct clubfoot in now all but complete, according to research published in July in the Journal of Pediatric Orthopaedics (JPO). The study shows the Ponseti method is now the treatment of choice for the vast majority of practitioners and that increased understanding of the technique has resulted in better outcomes.
Korean surgeons have developed an alternative to Achilles tendon lengthening for reducing plantar pressure and promoting wound healing in patients with diabetic foot ulcers.
A subsensory level of mechanical noise delivered directly to the foot soles of healthy older adults during walking has the potential to normalize gait variability and possibly reduce the risk of falls, according to research published in July in Gait & Posture.
Foot orthoses may help prevent falls – Recent research suggests older patients at risk for falls from poor balance may benefit from custom foot orthoses. Reported improvements indicate clinicians could potentially help prevent falls by testing patients’ balance and considering interventions to improve it.
By Emily Delzell and Jordana Bieze Foster
Lower limb amputations due to complications of diabetes declined 67% from 1996 to 2008 in US adults aged 40 years and older, according to a February report in Diabetes Care by epidemiologists from the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC). CDC investigators...
A single platelet rich plasma (PRP) injection is more effective than a single corticosteroid injection for improving pain and function in patients with chronic plantar fasciitis who haven’t responded to other conservative treatments, according to research from...
Study delves beyond plantar pressure – Recent research confirms that peak shear and peak pressure points occur at different locations under the foot, shedding some light on the role of shear in diabetic foot ulceration.
By Emily Delzell
A Dutch study suggests that metatarsal pads relieve metatarsalgia pain by creating space between metatarsal heads in addition to reducing plantar pressure. Researchers from St. Maartens Clinic in Nijmegen, the Netherlands, performed motion analysis on 16 feet with...
Wearing thick-soled shoes increases the magnitude of peroneus longus muscle activity required to resist an unanticipated foot inversion, elevating the risk of an ankle sprain, according to research from the University of Dundee in Scotland. Investigators used...
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