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Cover Story
The question of when or if it’s safe for patients to drive after surgery or while wearing a lower extremity orthotic device is one practitioners should address. But, in the absence of formal guidelines, clinicians’ advice is often inconsistent.
By Hank Black
Publisher Message
Another year has passed, filled with new and exciting developments for LER. With all the growth that we have experienced in the past year, it was necessary to expand our editorial team with promotions to Emily Delzell and P.K. Daniel, who are now senior editor and associate editor, respectively.
By Richard Dubin
Editor Message
After a season in which too many of its most marketable stars spent too much time in street clothes, the National Basketball Association (NBA) is making a commitment to injury prevention. Interesting, however…
By Jordana Bieze Foster, Editor
French Connections:
Coverage of the 2015 ISPO World Congress
In orthotics and prosthetics, practitioners increasingly are learning that making personal connections with patients is as important as connecting patients with the right devices. At the June meeting of the International Society for Prosthetics & Orthotics, clinicians and researchers from around the world met in Lyon, France, to discuss the most effective ways of accomplishing both objectives.
By Jordana Bieze Foster
QUARTERLY REPORT: Foot Health
One of the defining characteristics of the foot health world is that it’s always changing. The most obvious reason for this, of course, involves shoes. No other healthcare specialty has its own corresponding segment of the fashion industry, and no other patient population is as significantly influenced by fashion trends.
By Jordana Bieze Foster
Departments
The mixed findings of several cross-sectional studies seem to suggest that no specific biomechanical variables are unequivocally associated with iliotibial band syndrome in either men or women, which underscores the importance of assessing each patient individually
By Eric Foch, PhD
Offloading was a hot topic at the recent meeting of the International Working Group on the Diabetic Foot in the Netherlands. Diabetic foot experts in attendance discussed new research on offloading strategies and updated the organization’s practice recommendations.
By Cary Groner
Traditionally, anterior cruciate ligament reconstruction outcomes have been assessed preoperatively and several months postoperatively, but new research suggests the early postoperative stages of recovery may also significantly affect self-reported outcomes.
By Caitlin J. Miller, PT, DPT, and Jesse C. Christensen, PT, DPT, SCS
News
In the Moment: Gait
By Emily Delzell
Gait speeds less than .6 m/s, a threshold that has been recommended as an indicator of mobility-related health problems, also confer a significantly increased risk of two-year mortality in hospitalized older patients, according to a recent prospective study.
In children with cerebral palsy (CP), gait impairment has a moderate relationship with daily step count and high daily activity levels, according to research from the University of Auckland in Australia.
Step width (SW), step length (SL), and a ratio of the two variables may help predict falls and fall-related injuries in older adults with and without diabetic peripheral neuropathy (DPN), according to research from the University of Michigan in Ann Arbor.
Market Mechanics
By Emily Delzell
Products
KLM Laboratories, a provider of orthotic devices since 1973, offers a new addition to the Uniflex family of functional orthotic devices, the Uniflex 4. The Uniflex 4 foot orthosis comes standard with a gray simulated leather top cover and a semirigid polypropylene shell and rearfoot…
Now available from Elite Orthopaedics is the Premier Adjustable Night Splint for patients with plantar fasciitis, Achilles tendinitis, and other lower extremity overuse injuries. It features an angled shell to keep the foot in a dorsiflexed position, which can be easily adjusted using…
Ped Lite’s newest women’s casual shoe, the Valerie, offers a fashion-forward interpretation of the typical diabetic shoe. Available in black with an all-leather upper, the Valerie looks like a slip-on shoe but has a Medicare-approved adjustable closure that makes it functional as well as stylish.
For fall 2015, Vionic brings its trusted Orthaheel orthotic technology to a new, premium cozy women’s house slipper. The Cozy Juniper is a luxurious option for the patient/consumer who desires structural security for her feet along with the pampering of a house slipper.
Arcopédico USA debuts three new colors—grey, camel, and purple—this summer for the top-selling Leina collection of sporty Mary Jane walking slides. Featuring a wide, nonrestrictive form and a stay-on elastic band for a secure fit, these shoes are ideal for misshapen feet.
O’Brien Medical announces the commercial release of its premier product, the ETF128 electronic tuning fork. The medical-grade ETF128 transforms the most valuable features of a conventional 128-Hz tuning fork into a modern electrical configuration with four vibration amplitude…
Drew Shoe introduces the Antwerp for women, with a stretch fabric upper and a Velcro closure. Designed for those with common foot ailments, this slip-on walking shoe features Drew’s Proprietary Plus fitting system, which includes two removable…
WBC Industries introduces PVC Hook & Loop Strap Kits for use on ankle foot orthoses and knee ankle foot orthoses for adults and children. Each kit comes with a strap, chafe, pad, and matching rivets and is available in 14 different colors.
Arcopedico USA is debuting knit high-top sneaker styles as additions to its top-selling knit shoe collections. Shocks 5 sneaker-style high-tops feature a lace-up front, outer-side logo details, SanSmell fabric lining, cushioned footbed, and flexible heel strap.
Branier Orthopedic, through a collaboration with Click Medical, is now offering the Boa closure system for its custom-molded shoe lines. Adjustable with the use of a single hand, Boa’s mechanical reel system works to draw a steel cable through a series of easy-glide nylon guides.
