Lower Extremity Review
Metallic biomaterials enable successful reconstruction of skeletal tissues by supporting repair, load-bearing function, and anatomical alignment in foot and ankle surgery. The unique anatomic and biomechanics in this region, and challenging pathologies such as flatfoot and Charcot neuroarthropathy, present challenges. Intervention requires targeted biomaterial solutions.
Chronic ankle instability (CAI), a prevalent injury among female volleyball players, can negatively affect functional performance and increase the risk of further injury. The aim of this study was to compare functional movement quality, dynamic balance, vertical jumping performance, hip muscle strength, and risk of injury between…
Ankle sprains and acute Achilles tendon ruptures are common injuries among recreational tennis players. Patients who sustained an ankle sprain (n=39) or an Achilles tendon rupture (n=7) while playing tennis were retrospectively evaluated. Ankle sprain patients were younger (39 years), smaller and lighter…
Plantar fasciitis causes heel pain and functional limitations; conservative treatment typically includes plantar fascia and calf stretching. High-intensity laser therapy (HILT) offers deeper photobiomodulation and potential tissue-healing benefits. In this study participants were randomly allocated into…
Plantar pressure measurement is used to identify areas of high mechanical loading in people at risk of diabetic foot ulceration. Fixed thresholds, such as 200 kPa for in-shoe and 600 kPa for barefoot measurements, are commonly reported in the literature and applied in clinical decision-making in diabetic foot care.
Annually, 49 million people worldwide are impacted by lower extremity ulcers (LEUs). Diabetic foot ulcers (DFUs) and venous leg ulcers (VLUs) are the most common LEUs. Negative pressure wound therapy (NPWT) has emerged as an effective intervention for complex wounds, offering numerous favorable wound healing outcomes.
Symptomatic flat foot is quite a common pathology in adults. Myofascial release is 1 of the physiotherapeutic methods that are currently used in the treatment of musculoskeletal diseases. This study aimed to assess the impact of myofascial release on the range of motion and functional efficiency of the flat foot in adults.
Plantar fasciitis is a prevalent cause of heel pain in adults, particularly among the middle-aged population. It is characterized by microtrauma that exceeds the regenerative capacity of the plantar fascia. Although most cases respond well to conservative treatment, such as stretching exercises, orthotic use, and…
Weightlifting continues to increase in popularity due to its numerous benefits for physical health, performance enhancement, and age-related functional preservation. Although previous studies have investigated injury patterns in strength athletes, few have examined lower extremity injuries among the general population.
Diabetic Foot Ulcers (DFU) are a serious complication of diabetes and often lead to hospitalizations. This study sought to assess the incidence, risk factors and length of stay for hospitalizations, with and without amputations. Among 4709 people with DFU in Queensland (median age, 63 years, 3275 men, type 2 diabetes, DFU-related hospitalizations were recorded for 977 people : 669 without amputations…
Lateral ankle sprains (LAS) result in chronic ankle instability (CAI), causing ongoing instability. Although peroneal muscle weakness is documented in CAI, surface electromyography shows similar activation patterns between CAI and healthy individuals, suggesting structural rather than neural deficits. Ultrasound imaging (USI) uniquely enables noninvasive assessment of muscle morphology and quality through…
Foot orthotics, a device which can modify the mechanical interaction between foot and the external environment, are commonly prescribed for individuals with pes planus foot postures. The purpose of this study was to investigate the role of foot orthotics on controlling dynamic stability when females with pes planus foot posture experience a modified foot placement orientation during walking.
Posterior tibialis tendon dysfunction is a chronic musculoskeletal disorder characterized by a progressive flatfoot deformity which negatively impacts health-related quality of life. Custom foot orthoses modify walking biomechanics in individuals with posterior tibialis tendon dysfunction, but no studies have investigated their effects on stair climbing biomechanics in this population.
Diabetic foot ulcer (DFU) is one of the most severe complications of diabetes; its healing is typically protracted and marked by a high rate of recurrence. In recent years, electrical-stimulation (ES) therapy has emerged as a novel adjunct to conventional approaches such as debridement, negative-pressure wound therapy, and moist dressings. By applying an exogenous electric field that mimics the skin’s endogenous wound…
Falls are a leading cause of injury-related hospitalization, morbidity, and mortality in older adults, with impaired postural control serving as a key predictor of fall risk. The triceps surae, and particularly the soleus, plays a central role in maintaining upright stance by generating continuous plantarflexion moments that stabilize the body’s center of mass. This summarizes evidence for the neuromechanical contributions of the…
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