Lower Extremity Review
Little research has been published about gait patterns in children with autism, but that could be changing. One recently published study, although small, appears to lay the foundation for more focused research and could have clinical implications as well.
By Larry Hand
Increasing numbers of clinicians and lab owners who have made the leap to digital orthotic technology are seeing meaningful returns on those investments in terms of increased convenience, flexibility, and—importantly—profitability. At the inaugural Custom Orthotic Insoles Technology Forum, held in April at the University of Bath in the U.K., a number of satisfied digital technology converts shared their success stories and underscored the key issues that prospective adopters should consider before taking the plunge themselves.
Perhaps the most predominant theme echoed by speakers at the conference was the need to understand and carefully weigh the pros and cons of investing in digital technology, as well as the pros and cons of different individual systems, to facilitate decision-making for individual situations.
Machining orthoses with desktop cryogenics, or using an open-source “3D printer” that not only replicates orthoses but can also replicate itself, may seem unattainably futuristic. But these technologies are on the verge of being ready for prime time, and attendees at the Custom Orthotic Insoles Technology Forum got a sneak peak.
Multinational all-star teams of sports medicine experts convened in Monaco in April for the World Conference on Prevention of Illness & Injury in Sport, now under the direction of the International Olympic Committee. LER’s exclusive coverage of this event details clinical and scientific progress toward prevention of lower extremity injuries in basketball, soccer, volleyball, running, and ice hockey.
Findings contrast with prior studies Lace-up ankle braces can significantly reduce the risk of ankle sprain in high school basketball players, even those with no history of injury, according to findings from Wisconsin that challenge current evidence-based thinking...
Athletes concerned about dynamic postural stability, such as those with a history of ankle sprain, may be better off with ankle bracing than taping, according to an Irish study presented in Monaco in April. In a study of 15 male Gaelic football players with no history...
Specific mechanisms remain unclear Multimodal warm-up exercise programs appear to have benefits for reducing the incidence of groin injuries in athletes, but researchers are working to identify which specific training components have the greatest effect. Almost an...
His research group has identified three physical exam findings that can effectively screen for risk of femoral acetabular impingement in adolescent hockey players, but the world’s most famous hip surgeon thinks more drastic preventive measures may be warranted much...
Jumping ability not implicated Hard work can make up for a lack of natural talent in sports, but research from Norway suggests that may not be true when it comes to the risk of patellar tendinopathy (jumper’s knee) in young volleyball players. In two separate studies...
Dynamic plantar pressure distributions vary between soccer and basketball players in ways that may have implications for preventing injuries related to repetitive loading, according to research from Spain presented in Monaco in April. Investigators from Catholic...
Efforts focus on soccer players Norway and Denmark are traditionally rivals in soccer. But an increasingly popular Norwegian eccentric strength training technique for preventing hamstring injuries recently got a big assist from Danish researchers. An open cluster...
Kinetic variables, including impact peaks, do not predict risk of running related lower extremity injury in novice runners, according to research from the Netherlands. Investigators from University Medical Center Groningen prospectively analyzed kinetics in 181 novice...
Valgus may play supporting role The usual luminaries were on hand in Monaco to exchange familiar barbs over the relative contributions of knee valgus and knee flexion to anterior cruciate ligament injury, but much of the new research being presented suggests that...
Genetics may be the final frontier of sports injury prevention, and researchers are only beginning to explore it. But investigators from South Africa are slowly making progress in identifying specific gene variants associated with risk of anterior cruciate ligament...
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