Lower Extremity Review
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
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
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
Experts push for better sprain rehab – Primary ankle sprains often occur before adulthood, and a recent literature review from Australia suggests that some pediatric populations exhibit a high rate of ankle injury recurrence and chronic ankle instability (CAI).
By P.K. Daniel
Location of shortening is key factor – Contrary to popular perceptions, children with limb length discrepancy (LLD) may each use multiple compensatory strategies when they are walking, depending on where their discrepancy is, and those gait patterns may present a dilemma for practitioners.
By Larry Hand
Syme, transtibial gaits are similar – The relative functional benefits of transtibial and Syme amputations in adults have been discussed in the medical literature, but few studies have addressed similar issues in pediatric patients.
By Hank Black
A robotic system developed at the Rehabilitation Institute of Chicago (RIC), previously shown to have efficacy in a research lab setting, is also effective when used in a physical therapy clinic for ankle training in children with…
By Hank Black
In children with autism spectrum disorder (ASD), lower fine and gross motor skills are associated with higher disease severity scores, according to new research that supports the concept of earlier motor skills intervention in this population.
By Shalmali Pal
Surgical correction of the varus alignment that is characteristic of Blount disease does not lead to greater patient activity or reduction in body mass index (BMI), according to a recent study.
By Hank Black
Sometimes, even when new treatment materials are available, it may be better to rely on traditional options. Such may be the case when it comes to choosing a molding material to form casts for children with clubfoot or fractures.
By Larry Hand
Despite the slim odds of securing an athletic scholarship and the even slimmer prospect of playing professional sports, there’s an overemphasis today on success in competitive youth sports, including specialization and…
By P.K. Daniel
Preliminary evidence supports the use of a new internal technique for limb lengthening, according to data from the International Center for Limb Lengthening (ICLL) at the Rubin Institute for Advanced Orthopedics of Sinai Hospital in Baltimore.
By Samantha Rosenblum
But both groups fall short of controls – Children treated for clubfoot with the Ponseti method have less pain and fewer gait impairments as adults than those treated with surgery, according to research from Shriners Hospital for Children in Chicago.
By Samantha Rosenblum
Data support case-by-case approach – Gait patterns can vary significantly among young patients with Charcot-Marie-Tooth disease (CMT), and pathomechanics can vary even between limbs in one child, according to a recent study published in Gait & Posture.
By Larry Hand
Load may help engage plantar flexors – Adding an ankle load during treadmill walking significantly improves gait kinetics in children with Down syndrome (DS), possibly due to greater contributions from the ankle plantar flexors, according to a study from Georgia State University in Atlanta.
By Larry Hand
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