Over the course of a season, collegiate pitchers undergo changes in hip rotational range of motion and hip strength—changes that could increase injury risk or negatively affect performance.

By Giorgio Zeppieri Jr, MPT, SCS, CSCS

Diabetic foot specialists have a range of options for managing diabetic foot ulcers—from offloading devices to skin substitutes to surgical procedures. But sometimes the most effective treatment is the one that compels an active patient to simply slow down.

By Jordana Bieze Foster, Editor

The terms “hallux limitus” and “hallux rigidus” refer to a degenerative process of the great toe joint that was first described by Davies-Colley¹ in 1887 and termed hallux flexus. Cotterill later coined the term hallux rigidus.² The two terms represent a progression in…

By Howard Kashefsky, DPM, FACFAS

After an Australian study raised questions about the conventional practice of elevating the heel to decrease Achilles tendon load, researchers and clinicians have been revisiting what is known about the many factors—including pain—that can affect tendon load and function.

by Cary Groner

Reported effects of estrogen on knee ligaments and the Achilles tendon raise questions about how the plantar fascia might be altered during the menstrual cycle and how those changes might affect injury risk.

By Jerrold Petrofsky, PhD, JD; and Haneul Lee, PT, DSc 

Accelerated knee osteoarthritis (OA), defined by very rapid radiographic disease progression, is also associated with earlier and more severe symptoms than traditional OA. Identification of…

By Jeffrey B. Driban, PhD, ATC, CSCS

Strict glycemic control is the most reliable treatment for diabetic peripheral neuropathy, but expanding knowledge of central and peripheral nervous system processes may help identify therapeutic methods…

By Sarnarendra Miranpuri, DPM, MD; Kush Patel; Gurwattan Miranpuri, PhD; Abhishek Chopra; and Ravinderjit Singh

Strength training twice weekly, as recommended by two national organizations, can help reduce all-cause mortality in older US adults, but fewer than 10% meet that recommendation, according to a study from Pennsylvania State University.

By Katie Bell

Despite advances in prevention and intervention, anterior cruciate ligament (ACL) injuries are no less common among professional soccer players now than in 2001, according to research from Sweden.

By Jordana Bieze Foster

Running in minimalist footwear and running with a shorter stride length are both associated with reduced knee loads, but the two approaches differ in their effects on loading at the ankle, according to research from the University of Calgary in Canada.

By Jordana Bieze Foster

In children with diplegic cerebral palsy (CP), wearing bilateral ankle foot orthoses (AFOs) that promote heel-first ground contact helps to improve stability and may reduce the risk of falls, according to research presented in March at the annual meeting of the American Academy of Orthotists and Prosthetists (AAOP) in Orlando, FL.

By Jordana Bieze Foster

Varying the placement of a shoe heel rocker affects walking gait kinematics, even when the toe rocker placement is kept constant, according to research presented in March at the annual AAOP meeting in Orlando, FL.

By Jordana Bieze Foster

Elevating the heel of a shoe significantly affects foot kinematics but not shank kinematics during gait, according to research from the UK presented in March at the annual AAOP meeting in Orlando, FL.

By Jordana Bieze Foster

The Los Angeles Lakers honored retiring head athletic trainer Gary Vitti, MS, ATC, during the first quarter of the Lakers’ April 3 home game against the Boston Celtics. Vitti, who will retire from his full-time role this summer, has been with the Lakers for 32 seasons and is the longest-tenured trainer in…

Patrick Reichel, a podiatry-focused medical, surgical, and pharmaceutical brand management expert, announced in March that he has formed Medlutions, a contract sales representative group and consulting firm for the Midwest region.

Boston-based Tekscan in February released its SportsAT 2.0 for balance assessments. SportsAT, which includes a built-in balance compass to aid in rehabilitation and track prog­ress, helps lower extremity practitioners quickly quantify gait asymme­tries and evaluate rehabilitation pro­gress, and…

Beaverton, OR-based shoe giant Nike in March released three athletic shoes newly fitted with its Flyease entry system, designed for children and adults with disabilities (See “Nike launches easy-don Flyease high-tops,” August 2015, page 66).

Waltham, MA-based Radius Health’s investigational drug abaloparatide-SC (subcutaneous) increases bone mineral density in the spine and hip in postmenopausal women with osteoporosis and may reduce their risk of vertebral and nonvertebral fractures, according to research presented April 1 at Endo 2016, the annual meeting of the Endocrine Society, in Boston.

Baltimore, MD-based Foot Management hosted the Ed Block Courage Award dinner on March 11 to honor the St. Louis/LA Rams athletic trainers as the Ed Block NFL Athletic Training Staff of the Year.

The Winnipeg-based Pedorthic Association of Canada (PAC) on April 11 released results of a patient-centered study showing six weeks of custom foot orthosis wear reduced foot and ankle pain and upped activity levels in most people who wore the devices.

Ongoing Care Solutions’ pneumatic unloader brace with extension assist improved various gait parameters in people with knee osteoarthritis (OA) compared with standard conservative care, according to a study published in the April issue of The Journal of Knee Surgery.

The NFL Foundation, the National Athletic Trainers’ Association (NATA), Gatorade, and the Professional Football Athletic Trainers Society (PFATS) announced on March 14 the winners of the Athletic Trainer Initiative at the seventh-annual Youth Sports Safety Summit, held in Alexandria, VA, and hosted by NATA and the Youth Sports Safety Alliance.

Atlanta-based Amniox’s umbilical cord and amniotic membrane (UC/AM) wound allograft product helped promote healing in chronic diabetic foot ulcers (DFUs), according to findings of a retrospective study presented on March 23 at the Superbones Superwounds East 2016 Conference in Teaneck, NJ.

The Board of Certification/Accreditation (BOC) won a bronze Stevie on March 4 at the annual business awards ceremony, held in Las Vegas.

The Indianapolis, IN-based American College of Sports Medicine (ACSM) on April 5 epublished the first issue of its new peer-reviewed journal, Translational Journal of the American College of Sports Medicine (TJACSM) at…

The German Association of Orthopaedic Technology in March announced dates for OTWorld, an international trade show and world congress that this year will focus on 3D printing.

The American Society of Biomechanics (ASB) on April 7 had its first National Biomechanics Day,  a nationwide, synchronized event held at labs and other biomechanics facilities around the nation to educate high school students and their teachers about the field.

Allied OSI Labs has added the FS6 Compression Sleeve to its growing catalog of products for foot and ankle practices. The FS6 Compression Sleeve is designed to relieve the pain and swelling associated with plantar fasciitis by offering six zones of compression and support: firm compression…

Orpyx’s flagship product, the SurroSense Rx, is a wearable tool to help manage and track complications associated with diabetic peripheral neuropathy. The SurroSense Rx system alerts the user via a smartwatch when plantar pressures are detected above a threshold level for a prolonged period, so…

New from Tekscan, the SportsAT 2.0 software provides essential information for complete balance and concussion assessments. Sports medicine professionals can use SportsAT 2.0 to complete objective baseline and postinjury tests, quickly assess injury risk, identify asymmetries, and…

Therafirm’s new TheraSport brand introduces TheraSport Athletic Leg Sleeves to round out a product line engineered to improve circulation and help provide energy for greater endurance, enhanced performance, and a speedy recovery. The soft, lightweight sleeves feature a comfortable band with a…

The 3DsizeME system from TechMed 3D—including the Structure Sensor, 3DsizeME free iPad app, and MSoft software—is a compact, versatile, and affordable scanning solution that now offers a new color detection feature. Operators can now use colored positioning targets to identify anatomical landmarks or…

Designed by physical therapists, the FootFidget is a versatile exercise device for health and fitness that can be used as a dynamic footrest when sitting or standing for long periods of time. “Fidgeting” (pressing the foot against the device’s flexible resistance bands) while sitting or standing can help improve…

Created by a physical therapist for treating lower extremity tendinopathies, the Tendon Trak from Innovative Bracing supports the tendon to decrease pain and improve function by facilitating anatomically efficient muscle contraction without excessive compression.

WalkJoy has updated the software used with its namesake gait restoration product to help clinicians assess a patient’s risk of falling. WalkingHealth is a portable gait analysis tool to identify a patient’s risk of falling as low, medium, or…