June 2012
Cover Story
Given the accumulating evidence linking anterior cruciate ligament injury to early-onset osteoarthritis, one might reason that surgical repair of the injured joint would decrease that risk. But too often that isn’t the case. This two-part series explores the complicated ways, both negative and positive, that surgery can influence OA risk.
By Cary Groner
Editor Message
Much of sports medicine research focuses on what’s never been done before: new techniques, new procedures, and new theories. Less sexy, but equally important, is the research that takes a fresh look at old practices, the ones that have somehow become standard simply because they’ve never been questioned.
Jordana Bieze Foster, Editor
Departments
New evidence-based guidelines on the management of diabetic foot infections reflect significant advances by researchers and clinicians, but the recent emergence of regulatory hurdles has slowed the development of new antibiotic drugs for treating those infections.
By Emily Delzell
Different foot strike patterns are associated with different means of attenuating and redistributing forces during running, which may have implications for injury risk and rehabilitation. Researchers, however, have yet to fully examine and understand those implications.
By Peter Larson, PhD
Too many knee braces just won’t stay put, which can affect compliance and possibly even device effectiveness. Research on the topic is scarce, but experts say the key to minimizing knee brace migration is making sure the device fits the patient’s anatomy as closely as possible.
By Shalmali Pal
A growing body of research suggests that footwear comfort can improve movement performance and, in particular, neuromuscular control of balance. These findings could have significant implications for rehabilitation of older adults and patients with lower extremity disorders.
By M. Owen Papuga, PhD, and Jeanmarie R. Burke, PhD
Ankle braces help prevent injury by restricting motion, but those restrictions don’t necessarily result in negative effects on athletic performance. Evidence suggests that while agility may be affected with use of an ankle brace, vertical jump and balance skills may not.
By Jatin P. Ambegaonkar, PhD, ATC, OT, CSCS; Nelson Cortes, PhD; and Shruti J. Ambegaonkar, MS, PT
Studies assessing the relative functional benefits of limb salvage and amputation for lower extremity bone and soft tissue tumors have produced inconsistent results, but the range of subjective and objective tests used in those studies may have influenced the findings.
By Lucy Kupersmith, BA, and Jeremy S. Somerson, MD
News
In the Moment: Sports medicine
By Jordana Bieze Foster
The exploding popularity of so-called extreme conditioning programs is now infiltrating the armed forces, prompting military sports medicine experts to take a closer look at the potential risks and benefits of high intensity exercise.
Patellofemoral osteoarthritis (PFOA) is associated with deficits in hip abduction strength, a similarity to patellofemoral pain syndrome (PFPS) that appears to support the theory that the two conditions lie on the same continuum, according to research from the University of Calgary presented in late May at the ACSM meeting.
Sagittal plane landing kinematics in patients with chronic ankle instability (CAI) mimic those associated with risk of anterior cruciate ligament (ACL) injury, suggesting that similar neuromuscular control deficits may be involved in both processes, according to research from the University of Toledo (OH) presented in late May at the ACSM meeting.
In the Moment: Footwear
By Jordana Bieze Foster
The research on toning shoes presented early this month at the annual meeting of the American College of Sports Medicine in San Francisco didn’t add much support for controversial claims that the rocker-bottom footwear promotes muscle activation and energy expenditure. But the presenters did point out more subtle benefits of toning shoes that manufacturers might find are more acceptable to the Federal Trade Commission.
In workers wearing occupational footwear, the mass of a boot may be less important for maintaining balance than its shaft height, according to a study presented in late May at the annual ACSM meeting.
Injured runners do not make sagittal plane kinematic adaptations to changes in midsole hardness the way that healthy runners do, according to research from the University of Wisconsin-La Crosse (UW-L) presented in late May at the ACSM meeting.
Market Mechanics
Manhattan Beach, CA-based Skechers USA will pay $50 million to settle deceptive advertising complaints made by the Federal Trade Commission (FTC), 44 states, and the District of Colombia. Skechers settled the complaints on May 16 but continues to defend its … Continue reading
St. Paul, MN-based BioMedix, a healthcare information technology solutions provider, joined with the Western University of Health Sciences (WesternU) in May to promote amputation prevention through awareness and early detection of peripheral arterial disease (PAD). BioMedix gave WesternU College of … Continue reading
O&P Social, a network for O&P professionals, students, patients, caregivers, and vendors launched in June 2011, now boasts 1100-plus members worldwide. “O&P Social is the only community of its kind in the industry that supports real-time communication between practitioners, technicians, … Continue reading
The American Board for Certification in Orthotics, Prosthetics and Pedorthics (ABC) will sponsor the first-ever Technical Fabrication Contest offered by the American Orthotic & Prosthetic Association (AOPA) and the Orthotic & Prosthetic Technological Association (OPTA) and premiering at the AOPA … Continue reading
San Diego-based Total Gym was deemed Best in Class for medical wellness training equipment by the Medical Wellness Association (MWA) at the 10th annual Medical Wellness Forum at the International Health, Racquet & Sportsclub Association’s 2012 International Convention, held March … Continue reading
The United States Tennis Association (USTA) awarded the Orthotic and Prosthetic Activities Foundation (OPAF) and its First Volley adaptive tennis clinics several grants last month. USTA Serves, the organization’s national charitable foundation, gave First Volley an $8000 matching grant to … Continue reading
At its annual symposium in April, the Pedorthic Association of Canada (PAC) launched its first Clinical Practice Guidelines. The comprehensive manual was written by 60 Canadian pedorthists and reviewed by 33 foot professionals from Canada, the US, the UK, and … Continue reading
Birmingham, UK-based Delcam has announced some of the speakers who will take part in its Orthotics Technology Forum, scheduled for July 12-13 at the University of Salford in Manchester, UK. Speakers will include Christopher Nester, PhD, School of Health Sciences, … Continue reading
Teaneck, NJ-based Aetrex has introduced the iStep 8.0, the latest version of its foot scanning software. The software, available for use in select retail stores to help shoppers select shoes that best meet their individual needs, measures foot size and … Continue reading
Products
Mastercare offers the Mastercare-CN-AH6 heavy duty professional therapy table for sports teams and athletes. The table holds individuals up to 400 pounds in either prone or supine positions. It is equipped with a 3-in thick moving divided backrest with a … Continue reading
Delcam has launched a new version of its design software for custom orthotic insoles developed specifically for accommodative foot orthoses. The new “real-time design” version of OrthoModel will benefit practitioners treating patients with diabetes and others needing insoles made of … Continue reading
The Pressure Positive Company is partnering with Raw Health International to offer Raw Heat and Raw Ice certified natural topical analgesics. The analgesics are certified by the Natural Products Association and made with all-natural and organic ingredients. The products are … Continue reading
Icy Feet is an easy-to-use, no-mess way to apply cold therapy evenly to the soles of the feet. The patent-pending orthotic cold pack features an engineered insole shape with a recessed heel cup and an elevated arch to allow for … Continue reading
As part of its ongoing efforts to integrate and advance its Automated Orthotic Manufacturing System, Sharp Shape is beta-testing a new product called COR Manager for managing and modeling cast-correction COR files, the company’s proprietary file format for foot orthotic … Continue reading
The Learning Loft, manufacturer of the Fashions For Casts collection of decorative fabric covers for concealing a fiberglass cast, announces Brace Cover Fashions. Brace Cover Fashions are trendy, fashionable fabric covers worn over orthopedic braces to make healing more stylish. … Continue reading
Pro-Tec Athletics offers the Pro-Tec Gel Force Knee Support. The knee support is designed to help alleviate knee pain while providing moderate knee joint stability for multiple conditions that include patellofemoral pain syndrome, chondromalacia, and minor meniscus and ligament tears. … Continue reading
Acor Orthopaedic has added a comprehensive line of Microcel Puff SBR (soling, build ups, and repairs) to its growing family of materials. This durable blended material combines the benefits of EVA and SBR (styrene butadiene rubber) and is intended to … Continue reading
Custom-molded pediatric footwear from Jerry Miller Shoes are created using state-of-the-art CAD/CAM techniques. Each shoe is engineered according to fundamental orthopedic principles and customized according to the personal needs of the pediatric patient. Features include glove leather uppers or lightweight … Continue reading
NeuroCom, a division of Natus Medical, offers the Smart EquiTest system. Like the original EquiTest system, the Smart EquiTest system allows for objective assessment of balance control and postural stability under dynamic test conditions, but the Smart EquiTest system also … Continue reading
Powerstep introduces PowerKids, affordable, easy-to-use prefabricated orthoses specifically designed for children. These functionally correct orthoses are designed to improve foot alignment, posture, and balance, control excess motion, and reduce muscle fatigue. Features include dual-layer construction for cushioning and shock absorption, … Continue reading
The Sigvaris Performance Sleeve is now available in two new colors: lime and orange. Part of the company’s line of sports compression products for competitive athletes, the Sigvaris Performance Sleeve provides 20 to 30 mmHg of graduated compression from ankle … Continue reading
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