Category Archives: Special Section
October 2012
Wearing athletic shoes affects some performance measures
Standing long jump distance improves
Research has recently begun to clarify footwear’s effects on gait and functional performance in children, but the broader implications of the findings remain a matter of debate.
By Cary Groner
October 2012
Dynamic data in obese children may suggest gait compensation
Low force values surprise researchers
An Austrian study exploring the role of genu valgum and flatfoot in obese and normal weight children found obesity was associated with higher peak plantar pressures, but lower maximum force while walking, when forces were normalized to body weight.
By Christina Hall Nettles
October 2012
Experts debate relative benefits of screening feet for risk factors
Most question emphasis on flatfoot
The value of screening programs for pediatric foot problems—primarily flatfoot—was recently challenged in a commentary by Australian podiatrist Angela Evans, PhD, a researcher and lecturer in the Division of Health Sciences at the University of Adelaide.
By Cary Groner
KID STUFF 2012: Pediatric clinical news update
In our second annual pediatric special section, LER updates you on the latest research and clinical news to help optimize management of your littlest lower extremity patients. Topics include cerebral palsy, clubfoot, juvenile idiopathic arthritis, ACL injury, footwear, obesity, and … Continue reading
CONFERENCE COVERAGE: Orthotics Technology Forum 2012
Orthotic laboratory managers, CAD-CAM technology experts, and lower extremity practitioners convened in Manchester, UK, in July to share ideas and experiences related to the automated design and manufacture of foot orthotic devices. Foot orthotic laboratories have long been the principal … Continue reading
August 2012
Future of Orthotic Design will focus on practitioners
Foot orthotic laboratories have long been the principal players in the computer aided design and computer aided manufacturing (CAD-CAM) of foot orthoses. But practitioners are gradually starting to play a bigger role in the process—a development that dramatically enhances the potential for clinical creativity but also introduces an extra element of uncertainty.
August 2012
OPTIMIZING ORTHOTIC MILLING
Computer aided manufacturing is anything but a one-size-fits-all proposition. Customers have a range of variables to choose from, and making the right decision in most cases depends on knowing what type of orthotic material the machine will be asked to handle.
August 2012
High-tech heel pad tissue analysis: Orthotic implications
The use of technology to improve orthotic design is not limited to CAD-CAM applications, as demonstrated by University of Salford researchers in two presentations at the Orthotics Technology Forum.
August 2012
Additive manufacturing inches toward prime time
The fledgling field of additive manufacturing is still somewhat fragmented, as evidenced by the fact that the same technology can be described as rapid prototyping or 3D printing. But additive manufacturing’s profile is definitely on the rise, and its advocates are optimistic that lower extremity clinical applications are right around the corner.
May 2012
STEPS AHEAD: Advances in foot and ankle biomechanics
Foot and ankle experts from across the globe gathered in Sydney, Australia, in April for the third International Foot & Ankle Biomechanics (i-FAB) congress. LER’s exclusive coverage of this event starts with the ever-controversial topic of barefoot running and goes on to examine clinical and scientific progress related to plantar pressures, diabetes, pediatrics, unstable shoes, and osteoarthritis.
By Jordana Bieze Foster
May 2012
Biomechanist challenges idea that forefoot strike pattern reduces runners’ injury rate
Cites lack of conclusive evidence – Joseph Hamill, PhD, is an avid runner who runs with a natural forefoot strike pattern. But Hamill, professor of kinesiology at the University of Massachusetts Amherst, says he wouldn’t recommend that running technique for most people, despite recent claims that the forefoot strike pattern associated with barefoot running is associated with a lower risk of injury than rearfoot-strike running.
May 2012
Research links lower extremity symptoms of overuse to kinematics, training habits
Lower extremity kinematics and training habits affect risk of overuse injury in runners, according to research from the University of Tubingen in Germany.
May 2012
Footwear customized with pressure data fails to reduce diabetic reulceration rates
But ulcer severity may be decreased – In a Dutch randomized controlled trial of 171 high-risk diabetic patients, using plantar pressure measurements to confirm offloading below 200 kPa did not result in lower rates of ulcer recurrence over 18 months compared to standard custom shoes.
May 2012
Sham debridement matches scalpel for relief of painful plantar calluses
Scalpel debridement of plantar calluses in elderly patients does not reduce plantar pressures and is no more effective than sham treatment for relieving pain, according to an Australian study.
May 2012
Gait changes associated with footwear may explain foot complaints in children
Studies assess school shoes, flip-flops – Researchers from the University of Sydney in Australia have identified gait changes associated with pediatric footwear that may help explain foot complaints that have been reported in children.
May 2012
Hand tremor as predictor of calf cramp in CMT patients perplexes researchers
Researchers from the University of Sydney remain perplexed by the emergence of hand tremor as a predictor of calf cramp in children with Charcot-Marie-Tooth disease but theorize that the relationship may involve fatigue.
May 2012
Factors other than static curve influence rollover shape with rocker-bottom shoes
Data confirm kinetic, EMG changes – The static curve of a rocker-bottom shoe does not correlate strongly with its rollover shape during gait, suggesting that other factors such as material stiffness may also contribute, according to research from the University of Salford in the UK.
May 2012
Benefits of variable-stiffness footwear may go beyond reducing knee OA risk
Variable-stiffness shoes may have performance benefits for athletes in addition to addressing kinetic risk factors for knee osteoarthritis, according to research from the National University of Singapore.
KID STUFF: Pediatric clinical news update
In this special section, LER updates you on the latest research and clinical news to help optimize management of your littlest lower extremity patients. Topics include pediatric flexible flatfoot, cerebral palsy, ACL injury, clubfoot, Charcot-Marie- Tooth disease, gait patterns in autism, and footwear for early walkers.
July 2011
New papers revisit, rekindle flexible flatfoot controversy
“Other considerations” spark debate
In January 2010, when LER first covered the controversy, Australian podiatrist and researcher Angela Evans, PhD, had recently published a paper in the Journal of the American Podiatric Medical Association suggesting that children whose feet were flatter than expected, but asymptomatic, should be monitored rather than automatically treated with orthoses.
By Cary Groner
July 2011
CP experts assess evidence for use of orthotic devices
Despite progress, research gaps remain
The January publication in NeuroRehabilitation of the recommendations from a consensus conference held in 2008 paints a less-than-perfect picture of the evidence underlying orthotic management of cerebral palsy (CP).
By Larry Hand
July 2011
ACL injury prevention training focuses on younger athletes
Age-specific protocols are key to success
Training programs aimed at preventing anterior cruciate ligament injuries have been used for many years, but injury rates remain high. Injury prevention experts suggest such programs may be more effective if implemented before children reach the ages associated with highest injury risk and if the programs utilize age-specific protocols.
By Emily Delzell
July 2011
Not all practitioners embrace soft soles for novice walkers
Barefoot-like isn’t necessarily best
Barefoot is a biomechanics buzzword these days, but not all practitioners believe soft-soled shoes are best for very young children, even if such shoes do approximate the barefoot walking experience.
By Shalmali Pal
July 2011
Charcot-Marie-Tooth patients respond to AFO management
But recognizing device limits is key
Muscle weakness and instability associated with Charcot-Marie-Tooth disease in children can be addressed with ankle foot orthoses, research suggests, but practitioners should be aware of the limitations of AFOs in this patient population as well as the ever-present challenge of compliance.
By Shalmali Pal
July 2011
French study favors Ponseti over compatriots’ technique
Casting simplifies clubfoot management
In a comparative study published in the April/May issue of the Journal of Pediatric Orthopaedics, French researchers found that Ponseti casting compared favorably to French physiotherapy for initial treatment of idiopathic clubfoot.
By Emily Delzell
