Lower Extremity Review
Chronic stroke patients who can walk independently but retain gait deficits experience greater gains in both walking speed and quality with an overground walking intervention than with body-weight supported treadmill training (BWSTT), according to results of a pilot study epublished by Clinical Rehabilitation in February.
Orthotists report time and a lack of access to 3D motion analysis as barriers to tuning ankle foot orthosis–footwear combinations (AFO-FC), findings that demonstrate a need for better instruction and simplification of the practice, according to investigators who conducted a survey of UK clinicians.
A home exercise program produced modest improvements in physical function in patients who had already completed standard rehabilitation after hip fracture, according to a study published on February 19 in the Journal of the American Medical Association.
Seeking strategies for foot and ankle
As followers of sports and pop culture were absorbing the news of tennis star Serena Williams’ pulmonary embolism, researchers and clinicians at the annual meeting of the American College of Foot & Ankle Surgeons were discussing strategies for minimizing the risk of such vascular events after surgery.
Having just reviewed the medical literature in preparation for a presentation on corticosteroid injection at the annual ACFAS meeting, Paul Dayton, DPM, says that evidence will change the way he uses corticosteroids going forward. In some cases, such as for...
Eccentric strength training of the plantar flexors in patients with Achilles tendinosis results in remodeling of the muscle architecture in the medial gastrocnemius not seen in the lateral gastrocnemius, according to a study from Columbus, OH. Researchers at the...
Research from the University of Pittsburgh Medical Center suggests that, surprisingly, calcaneal bone mineral density does not improve with time following the onset of Charcot neuroarthropathy in patients with diabetes. Investigators analyzed BMD at a single time...
Two studies back nonsurgical approach
Nonoperatively treated Achilles tendon ruptures are no more vulnerable to re-rupture than those treated surgically as long as early mobilization is part of the protocol, according to two randomized studies that appear to contradict current evidence-based thinking.
Two simple tests performed within 72 hours of an ischemic stroke can help predict the likelihood of achieving independent gait after six months, according to research from the Netherlands. In 154 first-ever ischemic stroke patients who were unable to walk...
Army researchers are recommending that patients not drive with an immobilization device on their right foot, based on a study suggesting that such devices significantly increase braking response time. Investigators from Brooke Army Medical Center in Fort Sam Houston,...
Research from Stanford University adds to the evidence that patellofemoral pain management may be most effective when tailored to subcategories of patients, and suggests that it’s too soon to give up on vastus medialis oblique activation as a contributing factor.
The findings were presented in early November at the annual meeting of the American Academy of Physical Medicine & Rehabilitation.
By Jordana Bieze Foster
The benefits of platelet-rich plasma injection for relief of tendinopathy pain are evident outside of a controlled research setting, according to results from a Scottsdale, AZ, private practice presented in November at the AAPM&R meeting. Physiatrists at Southwest...
Fascial manipulation can improve pain and postural stability in patients with functional ankle instability and evidence of retinacular changes on magnetic resonance imaging, according to research from Italy presented in November at the AAPM&R meeting. In an...
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