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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.
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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: News
January 2012
Surgical success in CP
Some dorsiflexion gains are surprising - A recent study validates the long-held clinical belief that, in appropriately selected children with cerebral palsy (CP), ankle dorsiflexion during swing phase improves after ankle plantar flexor surgery and that postsurgical rehabilitation should include a focus on dorsiflexor function.
By Emily Delzell
Posted in 2012, In the moment: Gait, January
Tagged Ankle Dorsiflexion, cerebral palsy, cp
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January 2012
Charcot-Marie-Tooth patients delay using prescribed ankle foot orthoses
Even if they have a device prescription, individuals with Charcot-Marie-Tooth disease tend to put off wearing ankle-foot orthoses (AFOs) until walking function is impaired, according to research conducted at St. George’s University of London and Kingston University, London. Investigators compared presentation and gait function in two groups of people with CMT; 11 wore AFOs and 21 did not. Using a … Continue reading
Posted in 2012, In the moment: Gait, January
Tagged AFOs, ankle foot orthoses, Charcot-Marie-tooth
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January 2012
Muscle activation data suggest gap in poststroke gait rehabilitation
Improving gait and coordination among stroke survivors should involve developing rehabilitation techniques that target abnormal muscle timing characteristics, suggests recent research from the Louis Stokes Cleveland VA Medical Center, OH. The study, e-published in December by Rehabilitation Practice and Research, included nine healthy controls and 27 hemiparetic individuals at least one year poststroke who had persistent coordination and gait deficits. … Continue reading
Posted in 2012, In the moment: Gait, January
Tagged gait, gait rehabilitation, stroke
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January 2012
Shear significance
Study delves beyond plantar pressure - Recent research confirms that peak shear and peak pressure points occur at different locations under the foot, shedding some light on the role of shear in diabetic foot ulceration.
By Emily Delzell
Posted in 2012, In the moment: Footcare, January
Tagged diabetes, diabetic foot ulcer, peak plantar pressure, plantar pressure, shear, shear forces
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January 2012
Peroneal response to inversion increases with shoe sole thickness
Wearing thick-soled shoes increases the magnitude of peroneus longus muscle activity required to resist an unanticipated foot inversion, elevating the risk of an ankle sprain, according to research from the University of Dundee in Scotland. Investigators used electromyography to assess peroneus longus activity in 38 healthy participants standing on a platform designed to invert from 0° to 20° without warning. … Continue reading
Posted in 2012, In the moment: Footcare, January
Tagged ankle sprains, peroneus longus activity
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January 2012
Ball sports bolster bones
High-impact history benefits runners – Preliminary findings from Stanford University add to the growing body of evidence suggesting that playing soccer or basketball at an early age helps lower the risk of stress fracture in athletes who go on to become dedicated runners.
By Jordana Bieze Foster
Posted in 2012, In the moment: Sports medicine, January
Tagged high school runners, sports medicine, stress fractures
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January 2012
Ball position during overhead catch influences ACL injury risk on landing
When an athlete jumps to catch a ball overhead, the path of the ball relative to the dominant leg affects landing mechanics in ways that could increase risk of anterior cruciate ligament injury, according to research from Griffith University in Gold Coast, Australia. Investigators analyzed 25 male athletes as they landed from an overhead catch of a ball rigged to … Continue reading
Posted in 2012, In the moment: Sports medicine, January
Tagged acl injury, anterior cruciate ligament
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January 2012
AFO offloading findings could affect tibial stress fracture management
A corset-style ankle foot orthosis is more effective than a controlled ankle motion walker for offloading the distal lower extremity, according to pilot data from Colorado investigators that could have implications for management of tibial stress fractures in athletes. Researchers from the University of Colorado, Denver, analyzed five individuals with healed lower extremity injuries who still had the custom corset-style … Continue reading
Posted in 2012, In the moment: Sports medicine, January
Tagged AFO, ankle foot orthosis, corset-style AFO, tibial stress fracture
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2011
Depreciation Bonus and Section 179 Deductions Set to Expire 12/31/11
Recently the U.S. Federal government made a change to the tax code which provides unprecedented incentives for investing in manufacturing technology. Specifically, the U.S. Federal government has increased “Bonus Depreciation” to 100% on qualified assets, which includes software. This level of “Bonus Depreciation” is up from 50% last year. Simply put, this level of tax incentive to stimulate business investment … Continue reading
November 2011
Bespoke for stroke: Temporary custom shoe improves gait
Recent research from the Netherlands suggests that a custom-made orthopedic shoe designed for temporary use can enhance early mobilization after stroke, improving functional mobility, walking speed, and gait.
By Emily Delzell
Posted in 2011, In the moment: Footwear, November
Tagged gait, orthopedic footwear, stroke
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November 2011
Study links poor footwear choices to impairment in patients with gout
Research from the Auckland University of Technology suggests use of poor footwear is a major problem in patients with gout, finding that 42% of individuals studied wore shoes with inadequate cushioning, support, stability, or motion control. The New Zealand investigators, who published their study in November’s Arthritis Care & Research, assessed the footwear of 50 men with gout and collected … Continue reading
November 2011
Jazz shoes restrict plantar flexion, may also impair muscle activation
Girls who take part in recreational jazz dancing may be wearing dance shoes that adversely affect muscle activation and restrict their ability to attain the optimal pointed, or plantar flexed, position while dancing, according to Australian researchers. Investigators from the University of Sydney recruited 16 girls who wore a split sole jazz shoe, full sole jazz shoe, or jazz sneaker … Continue reading
November 2011
Lockout lessons: NFL Achilles injuries spark debate
Achilles injuries in the National Football League appear to be occurring earlier, more frequently, and in younger players than in previous seasons. Whether that apparent trend is related to the labor dispute and lockout that shortened the preseason is a matter of considerable debate.
By Jordana Bieze Foster
Posted in 2011, In the moment: Sports medicine, November
Tagged achilles injuries, NFL, NFL injuries
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November 2011
Bone data support return to play six months after hip resurfacing
Patients experience significant increases in femoral neck bone density six months after undergoing hip resurfacing, which suggests it is safe for them to return to high-impact sports at that time, according to research from Washington University School of Medicine in St. Louis. Investigators used dual energy x-ray absorptiometry to analyze femoral neck bone density in 52 patients who had undergone … Continue reading
November 2011
Rearfoot landing could reduce ACL injury risk during cutting, pivoting
Landing on the rearfoot instead of the forefoot during cutting and pivoting tasks can decrease knee loading and theoretically reduce the risk of anterior cruciate ligament injury, according to a study from George Mason and Old Dominion universities. Researchers assessed knee kinematics and kinetics in 20 female soccer players as they performed two unanticipated tasks (sidestep cutting and pivoting) using … Continue reading
Posted in 2011, In the moment: Sports medicine, November
Tagged acl injury, anterior cruciate ligament, soccer injuries
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November 2011
Early stage rearfoot eversion effects bolster theory of PTTD progression
Two measures of pronation typically associated with later stages of posterior tibial tendon dysfunction are also apparent in its earliest stage, according to University of Calgary research with possible implications for early intervention. Investigators analyzed static anatomical foot structure, ankle invertor muscle strength, and walking kinematics in 12 runners with stage 1 PTTD and 12 matched asymptomatic runners. Peak rearfoot … Continue reading
Posted in 2011, In the moment: Sports medicine, November
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October 2011
Dynamic duo
Brace-wedge combo maximizes results – Wedged foot orthoses and knee braces have both been shown to relieve knee osteoarthritis symptoms, but research from the University of Western Ontario suggests that the two modalities may be most effective when used in combination.
By Jordana Bieze Foster
Posted in 2011, In the moment: Knee OA, October
Tagged knee OA, Knee Osteoarthritis, unloading knee brace
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October 2011
Bracing does not weaken quadriceps in patients with patellofemoral OA
Practitioner concerns that knee bracing leads to muscle atrophy in patients with patellofemoral osteoarthritis (OA) appear to be unfounded, and the opposite may be true, according to research from the University of Manchester in the U.K. In 59 individuals with symptomatic patellofemoral OA, investigators found that 12 weeks of brace wear was associated with a 4.6-Nm median increase in quadriceps … Continue reading
Posted in 2011, In the moment: Knee OA, October
Tagged patellofemoral OA, patellofemoral osteoarthritis
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October 2011
Some individuals report less OA pain while wearing high heels than flats
Knee osteoarthritis patients may not want to throw out their high-heeled shoes just yet. Research from Henry Ford Hospital in Detroit suggests that elevated heels are actually associated with pain relief in some patients with knee OA. The findings are surprising in light of the growing body of scientific evidence suggesting that high heels increase the risk of knee osteoarthritis … Continue reading
Posted in 2011, In the moment: Knee OA, October
Tagged high heels, knee OA, Knee Osteoarthritis
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October 2011
AFO strap mapping
Study locates optimal position, angle – When researchers from the Georgia Institute of Technology were trying to determine the ideal position for a dorsal strap to prevent pistoning within an ankle foot orthosis, they approached the problem from multiple angles—literally. What they found was that the optimal angle for a dorsal strap position isn’t close to the angle most often used in practice.
By Jordana Bieze Foster
October 2011
Prefabricated foot orthoses improve some balance measures but not all
A study from Northern Illinois University (NIU) mirrors the conflicting evidence regarding foot orthoses and balance, finding that prefabricated orthoses significantly improved some but not all postural control measures in healthy volunteers. Hamid Bateni, PhD, an assistant professor of physical therapy at NIU, and colleagues analyzed postural control variables in 12 healthy young adults as they stood as quietly as … Continue reading
Posted in 2011, In the moment: O&P, October
Tagged Foot Orthoses, prefabricated foot orthoses
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October 2011
Increases in gait speed with brace use vary in Charcot-Marie-Tooth patients
Patients with Charcot-Marie-Tooth (CMT) disease respond to the same custom ankle foot orthosis (AFO) in very different ways, according to research from the University of Nevada, Las Vegas presented in September at the annual AOPA meeting. Investigators assessed eight CMT patients wearing a custom AFO made of multiple layers of bidirectional carbon and Kevlar, with a rigid heel and forefoot … Continue reading
Posted in 2011, In the moment: O&P, October
Tagged AFOs, ankle foot orthosis, Charcot-Marie-tooth, gait
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October 2011
Tackling ankle sprains
Braces reduce risk in football players – Research e-published last month by investigators at the University of Wisconsin-Madison suggests prophylactic lace-up braces are a cost-effective method of reducing the incidence of ankle sprains in high school football players without increasing the risk of knee and other lower extremity injuries.
By Emily Delzell
Posted in 2011, In the moment: Sports medicine, October
Tagged ankle sparins, football players, lace-up braces
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October 2011
Forward twisting falls cause most ACL injuries in carving skiers, data suggest
The forward twisting fall is the dominant mechanism of anterior cruciate ligament (ACL) injury among male and female carving skiers, according to Austrian investigators writing in October’s International Journal of Sports Medicine. Investigators from University Innsbruck retrospectively collected demographic data from 220 recreational carving skiers (59 men, 161 women), including skiing ability, equipment and environmental factors, and circumstances, causes, and … Continue reading
Posted in 2011, In the moment: Sports medicine, October
Tagged acl injury, anterior cruciate ligament, skiers
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