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Rehab speeds return after ACL surgery: At this knee center, return to play is based not on the calendar but on range of motion and strength... 
Functional hallux limitus: Diagnosis and treatment: Once identified, functional hallux limitus can be effectively managed with orthotic devices.
By Jame... 
Return to football after Achilles tendon rupture: Only two-thirds of NFL skill players ever come back, and those who do find their performance signifi... 
Rehabilitation following microfracture surgery: Much of the success of microfracture surgery for articular cartilage lesions in the knee depends on...
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Category Archives: Feature Article
February 2012
Wedge orthoses: A distal slant on knee OA therapy
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Posted in 2012, Feature Article, February
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February 2012
Use of eccentric exercise for prevention and rehab
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Posted in 2012, Feature Article, February
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February 2012
Success of hinged AFOs depends on alignment
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Posted in 2012, Feature Article, February
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February 2012
Hip rotation in golfers may determine pathology
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Posted in 2012, Feature Article, February
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February 2012
Foot-shoe mismatches leave patients at risk
Survey results suggest that at least one-third of individuals at risk for foot pain or diabetic foot ulcers are wearing shoes that are at least one size too big or too small, which can further increase those risks. Proper shoe fit and foot health start with patient education.
By Stephanie Swensen, BSc, and Ran Schwarzkopf, MD, MSc
Posted in 2012, Feature Article, February
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February 2012
Original research: Taping alters ankle biomechanics
This study found that closed basket-weave ankle taping significantly affects ankle range of motion and time to peak vertical ground reaction force, which can have implications higher up the kinetic chain that appear to vary from one individual to another.
By Matthew L. Santos-Vitorino, MS, ATC, LAT, Sue Shapiro, EdD, ATC, LAT, Kathy Ludwig, PhD, and Claire Egret, PhD
Posted in 2012, Feature Article, February
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January 2012
Knee bracing benefits off-road motorcyclists
New research suggests that serious injuries occur as frequently in off-road motorcycle racing as they do in football, but such injuries occur less frequently in riders who wear knee braces.This may be why, although it is not well studied, knee bracing is widespread among off-road motorcycle riders.
By Wesley M.Gladin, BS, Robert A.Cates, BA, and Mark S.Sanders, MD, FACS
Posted in 2012, Feature Article, Home Feature, January
Tagged ACL injuries, knee braces, knee injuries, MCL injuries, PKB, prophylactic knee bracing
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January 2012
Adult acquired flatfoot: Nonoperative options
Adult acquired flatfoot deformity, primarily posterior tibial tendon dysfunction, in many cases can be successfully managed with conservative treatment modalities including early immobilization, long-term bracing, physical therapy, and anti-inflammatory medications.
By Robert W. Mendicino, DPM, FACFAS, Alan R. Catanzariti, DPM, FACFAS, and Kyle S. Peterson, DPM
January 2012
Knee OA: The evidence for gait modification
Gait retraining can potentially alter walking biomechanics such that knee adduction moment is reduced, an inexpensive offloading option that does not require device wear. Gait modification studies to date have primarily focused on foot rotation, trunk lean, and knee medialization.
By Michael A. Hunt, PT, PhD
Posted in 2012, Feature Article, Home Feature, January
Tagged gait retraining, knee biomechanics, knee OA, Knee Osteoarthritis
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January 2012
Biomechanical analysis of ankle sprain ‘copers’
Researchers are investigating why some people develop chronic ankle instabilty after a sprain while others seem to heal normally. Biomechanical differences between the two cohorts may offer clues to the mechanisms underlying CAI and enhance preventive efforts.
By Adam Rosen, MS, ATC, and Cathleen N. Brown, PhD, ATC
Posted in 2012, Feature Article, Home Feature, January
Tagged ankle sprain copers, ankle sprains, CAI, chronic ankle instability
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January 2012
Monofilament testing withstands critiques
Experts continue to debate the relative merits of the Semmes-Weinstein monofilament for assessing diabetic foot ulcer risk, including how many sites on the foot should be tested, and which ones. But it’s tough to argue with the technique’s cost-effectiveness.
By Cary Groner
Posted in 2012, Feature Article, Home Feature, January
Tagged diabetes, diabetic foot, foot ulcers, monofilament testing, neuropathy
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December 2011
Striking a balance: Foot orthoses in DPN
Preliminary research suggests that impaired balance in patients with diabetic peripheral neuropathy (DPN) may improve with proprioceptive stimulation from foot orthoses. Postural instability is common in patients with diabetic neuropathy, said David Levine, DPM, CPed, who is in private practice in Frederick, MD.
By Katie Bell
Posted in 2011, December, Feature Article, Home Feature
Tagged diabetes, diabetic peripheral neuropathy, DPN, Foot Orthoses, neuropathy
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December 2011
Diabetic shoes: Fashion and function
Every day, people willingly trade good foot health for stylish shoes—think stilettos, platforms, and pointy toeboxes. For some time, however, patients who wore diabetic footwear didn’t have the option of worrying about style versus substance.
By Shalmali Pal
Posted in 2011, December, Feature Article, Home Feature
Tagged diabetes, diabetic footwear, toebox
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December 2011
Debunking myths: Compression hosiery
Myths abound in discussions about healthcare (just think chicken soup). But when it comes to the use of compression hosiery, some tales can be debunked easily. The benefits of compression hosiery include improved blood circulation for patients with varicose veins, or achy swollen feet—especially helpful for those with diabetes.
By Larry Hand
Posted in 2011, December, Feature Article, Home Feature
Tagged compression hosiery, compression stockings, diabetes, edema
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December 2011
Custom care: Offloading for foot ulcers
Any time a practitioner applies an orthotic device, such as an ankle foot orthosis (AFO) to offload a diabetic foot ulcer, he or she also has to make sure pressure is not redistributed to the point that a new ulcer is created elsewhere on the foot. Devices have to be constructed with the correct materials and properly fitted to the foot, which leaves a lot of leeway for practitioners.
By Larry Hand
Posted in 2011, December, Feature Article, Home Feature
Tagged AFOs, ankle foot orthoses, diabetic foot ulcers, offloading, pressure measurement
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December 2011
How to “speak” central fab
Outsourcing has become integral to streamlined manufacturing and, in the O&P world, central fabrication services fit the bill. Yet, for practitioners dealing with a customer service rep in a different time zone or an employee in a far-off land, communication isn’t always easy to achieve. Lower Extremity Review checked in with O&P experts on effective ways to communicate with central fab facilities.
By Shalmali Pal
Posted in 2011, December, Feature Article, Home Feature
Tagged central fab, central fabrication
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December 2011
When diabetes complicates drop foot
In patients affected by both diabetes and drop foot, ankle foot orthoses (AFOs) can help restore a more normal gait pattern and reduce the mechanical risks of ulceration. But microtrauma caused by irritation and elevated pressure is also a significant concern in these patients, making device selection and fit critical concerns.
By Larry Hand
Posted in 2011, December, Feature Article, Home Feature
Tagged AFOs, ankle foot orthoses, diabetes, drop foot
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December 2011
OA knee bracing in family practice
Research indicates that primary care physicians are underprescribing exercise as a treatment for knee osteoarthritis, and experts suggest the same can be said about bracing. “I think primary care physicians probably don’t know much about braces. Being primarily internists, primary care physicians may turn to what they know best, and that’s pharmacological therapy, because that’s what they’re accustomed to doing,” said Nicholas Giori, MD, PhD, an orthopedic surgeon at Stanford University School of Medicine in Palo Alto, CA.
By Larry Hand
Posted in 2011, December, Feature Article, Home Feature
Tagged knee OA, Knee Osteoarthritis, OA, osteoarthritis
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December 2011
Assessing PTTD: Linking the kinetic chain
Many studies of posterior tibial tendon dysfunction (PTTD), or adult acquired flatfoot disorder, have focused on foot kinematics and benefits of bracing for pain relief and increased ambulation. But new findings from the University of Southern California in Los Angeles suggest clinicians also look higher along the kinetic chain when determining an effective treatment.
By Christina Hall Nettles
Posted in 2011, December, Feature Article, Home Feature
Tagged kinetic chain, posterior tibial tendon dysfunction, pttd
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December 2011
Finding a footwear-AFO fit in kids
Finding shoes that fit over ankle foot orthoses (AFOs) is a challenge for thousands of children with neuromuscular disorders that affect walking ability. Parents have waited patiently while custom AFOs were molded and fitted, only to find themselves at wit’s end when trying to finish the morning dress routine.
By Christina Hall Nettles
Posted in 2011, December, Feature Article, Home Feature
Tagged AFOs, ankle foot orthoses, children's footwear and AFOs
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December 2011
Maximizing postamputation joint health
After amputation patients and practitioners tend to focus on the affected side. But the intact limb, or “sound side,” is also worth watching as long-term shifts occur in weight distribution between limbs during gait. This stress can often lead to knee osteoarthritis (OA) in the intact limb.
By Shalmali Pal
Posted in 2011, December, Feature Article, Home Feature
Tagged amputation, prosthetic fit, prosthetics
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December 2011
The wear and tear of ankle sprains
Chronic ankle instability (CAI) has been linked to development of early ankle osteoarthritis (OA), but questions remain as to how and why the degeneration occurs and how bracing and other interventions might slow the process.
By Larry Hand
Posted in 2011, December, Feature Article, Home Feature
Tagged ankle bracing, ankle OA, ankle osteoarthritis, ankle sprains, CAI, chronic ankle instability
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December 2011
Foot orthoses and landing mechanics
Research suggests foot orthoses can affect frontal and transverse plane motion in proximal joints during landing from a jump, which could help decrease the risk of anterior cruciate ligament injury, especially in female athletes.
By Katie Bell
Posted in 2011, December, Feature Article, Home Feature
Tagged custom foot orthoses, Foot Orthoses
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December 2011
PET/CT for PFP: Not ready for prime time
The latest research on patellofemoral pain (PFP) syndrome suggests that different mechanisms are responsible and treatments must be tailored accordingly. A new imaging study has drilled down into the source of PFP, offering evidence of a link between the syndrome, bone metabolic activity, and increased mechanical stress.
By Shalmali Pal
Posted in 2011, December, Feature Article, Home Feature
Tagged patellofemoral pain, patellofemoral pain syndrome, PFP
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December 2011
Stretching out plantar fasciitis
Tight hamstrings play an important role in plantar fasciitis, according to a study published in the June issue of Foot and Ankle Specialist. “These findings show that while we always consider the tightness of the gastrocnemius/soleus complex and the subsequent restricted ankle motion from this equinus, we also need to consider the role of the hamstrings,” said Jonathan Labovitz, DPM, lead author and associate professor at Western University of Health Sciences, Pomona, CA.
By Katie Bell
Posted in 2011, December, Feature Article, Home Feature
Tagged hamstring stiffness, plantar fasciitis
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