Category Archives: Special Section
July 2015
OSTEOARTHRITIS: Orthotic options for knee OA focus on compliance issues
New research presented in June at the 2015 ISPO Congress underscored the potential long-term benefits of valgus knee bracing for relief of medial knee osteoarthritis (OA) symptoms when patient compliance is high, while… Continue reading
July 2015
PROSTHETICS: Foot strike pattern can affect load in amputee runners too
Foot strike pattern during running affects loading in unilateral lower limb amputees, as it does in able-bodied runners, according to research from the Chinese University of Hong Kong. Continue reading
July 2015
Improving compliance with diabetic footwear
Convincing patients with diabetes to wear their prescribed footwear presents a challenge, but experts agree that encouraging patient compliance requires lower extremity clinicians to look beyond the disease and gain insight into the person being treated.
By Shalmali Pal Continue reading
July 2015
Intricacies of metatarsal stress fracture treatment
A growing body of research on metatarsal stress fractures is helping lower extremity practitioners manage both the biomechanical and physiological effects of these frustrating injuries, as well as the expectations of patients who are eager to return to activity.
By Erin Boutwell Continue reading
June 2015
The future of footwear and orthoses is here. Now what?
A shift in tone was apparent at this year’s Ortho Technology Forum (OTF), and not just because the focus of the event has been expanded to include design and manufacturing technologies for footwear as well as foot orthoses… Continue reading
June 2015
The argument for library-based orthotic prescription
Much of the discussion at the 2015 Ortho Technology Forum (OTF) focused on various ways in which the future of the orthotic industry will require adapting to new technologies. But the event’s final presenter challenged… Continue reading
May 2015
Allard USA: Get Back Up Today!
The most common treatment is an ankle-foot orthosis (AFO) which provides support to the ankle and foot. The AFO helps control foot drop and ankle instability by providing a better sense of balance. Continue reading
May 2015
Kinetic Research: Carbon Fiber Orthopedic Braces
Composite material advances over the past 10 years have improved the design creativity and possibility for clinical orthotists worldwide. In the past, an ankle orthosis required a completely solid and fully encompassing design in order to attain the mechanical control… Continue reading
May 2015
Custom Composite: Specializing in advanced composite applications for the O&P industry
The mechanics behind our family of Charcot Marie-Tooth (CMT) braces centers around the medial strut design. The medial strut folds into the footplate in the arch area, making the brace very stable when patients are in midstance… Continue reading
May 2015
SureStep: A Revolutionary Bracing Concept
SureStep manufactures a variety of products but is primarily known for the SMO (Supra malleolar orthosis) and pediatric AFOs (ankle foot orthosis)… Continue reading
May 2015
Diane Covington: AFOs positively impact every aspect of her dynamic life
It’s a happy coincidence that Diane Covington lives just a few miles from a New Balance store, for two reasons. The brand’s sporty and comfort styles are perfectly suited for Covington’s life on the go.
By Jordana Bieze Foster Continue reading
May 2015
Brennan Ryan: With AFOs and cool sneakers, this 10-year-old can be a regular kid
If you ask Brennan Ryan what his favorite after-school activities are, he’ll tell you, “Basketball, baseball, flag football, and Cub scouts.” Ask him what his favorite part of school is and he’ll answer…
By Robyn Parets Continue reading
May 2015
James Robinson: AFOs give him the confidence to stay active in retirement
Some may think a midlife diagnosis of Charcot-Marie-Tooth (CMT) disease might necessitate a sedentary retirement. Not James Robinson, who learned he had CMT1A when he was about 52 years old.
By Robyn Parets Continue reading
May 2015
Jeff Seitzer: AFOs and staying fit help manage his mild symptoms
It’s hard to imagine that a 56-year-old man who swims, plays golf, works out, and even practices yoga has Charcot-Marie-Tooth disease (CMT). But Jeff Seitzer, who was diagnosed more than 40 years ago, has managed to keep his symptoms at bay.
By Robyn Parets Continue reading
May 2015
Orthotic devices and CMT: Everyone deserves an aha! moment
This guide to orthotic devices for people with Charcot-Marie-Tooth (CMT) disease has been a dream of mine for a long time. I was diagnosed with CMT1A at the tender age of 18 months, but didn’t learn about orthotic devices for CMT until 2007…
by Susan Ruediger Continue reading
May 2015
Obese children develop knee malalignment as they mature
Effect might increase future OA risk – As obese children undergo the rapid physical changes of puberty, they develop knee malalignment that could potentially contribute to development of knee osteoarthritis (OA), according to recent research from Nationwide Children’s Hospital in Columbus, OH.
By Emily Delzell Continue reading
May 2015
Lower-body focus could help youth baseball player arms
Studies link hip, shoulder function – Kids grow up thinking that throwing a baseball hard is all about strength in the arm and shoulder, but new evidence suggests that muscle strength and range of motion in the hip affect shoulder function during throwing in youth baseball players.
By Chris Klingenberg Continue reading
May 2015
Kinematics identify subgroups of kids with CP and equinovarus
Treatment planning could benefit – Chicago researchers have identified clinically relevant subgroups based on foot and ankle kinematics in children with equinovarus secondary to hemiplegic cerebral palsy (CP) that could help improve treatment planning and clinical outcomes.
By Barbara Boughton Continue reading
May 2015
Hip disorders in children with Down syndrome
As hip arthritis becomes a growing concern in adults with Down syndrome, clinicians are also becoming more attuned to hip issues in children with DS, in hopes that early intervention in the pediatric population will help reduce the risk of disability later on.
By Shalmali Pal Continue reading
May 2015
Sever disease: Intervene early to relieve symptoms
Once pain and inflammation have been addressed, clinicians can implement interventions—including orthotic devices, stretching, and strengthening—to address the biomechanical factors that are believed to contribute to heel pain and other symptoms in this population.
By Erin Boutwell Continue reading
May 2015
Overview of CMT – Clinical challenges and opportunities
Early diagnosis and early intervention in people with Charcot-Marie-Tooth disease give clinicians and patients a valuable head start on keeping symptom progression in check.
By Cary Groner Continue reading
May 2015
Orthotic management: A symptom-based, dynamic approach
Orthotic devices, tailored to each patient and adjusted for disease progression, can improve mvobility by addressing gait impairments and maintaining stability.
By Cary Groner Continue reading
February 2015
Soft tissues may help determine response to Ponseti treatment
Children with idiopathic clubfoot who have relapses after treatment with the Ponseti method demonstrate different soft tissue abnormalities than children whose clubfoot is permanently corrected, according to research published in the August issue of the Journal of Bone & Joint Surgery.
By Erin Boutwell Continue reading
February 2015
Study questions utility of adult balance test in concussed kids
With head trauma becoming increasingly worrisome in sports these days, a significant concern is whether the same protocols for clearing an athlete to return to sports should be used in both adults and children. Research from Cincinnati Children’s Hospital Medical Center suggests that the…
By Chris Klingenberg Continue reading
February 2015
Shoe flexibility influences gait characteristics in early walkers
A recent study published in the winter issue of Pediatric Physical Therapy found that children just learning to walk may have altered gait characteristics when wearing flexible shoes.
By Erin Boutwell Continue reading
