Charcot-Marie-Tooth CMT

Researchers develop technology to treat Charcot-Marie-Tooth (CMT)

The research team led by Professor Minseok Kim from the Department of New Biology at DGIST (President Yang Kuk) has developed a technology that can treat Charcot-Marie-Tooth (CMT) disease, an incurable hereditary disease, with … READ MORE

World-first guidelines for children with common inherited nerve disorder 

Paediatric neurologists and allied health clinicians have developed world-first clinical practice guidelines for children with Charcot-Marie-Tooth disease (CMT), the most common childhood inherited nerve disorder. This international … READ MORE

Discover Sole to Soul Footwear

We saw a need for specialty footwear and grew from there Sole to Soul Footwear began as part of the former Colonel Belcher Hospital’s Geriatric Foot and Wound Clinic. Abdullah Chybil developed the concept of our shoe store while … READ MORE

Disease severity, walking needs may guide patients’ orthosis choice

Clinical indices measuring disease severity and the need for walking assistance may help patients with Charcot-Marie-Tooth (CMT) disease in deciding on the type of orthosis required to provide added support for weakened muscles, a … READ MORE

Personalized CMT braces

Personalized CMT braces make Julie stronger! Charcot-Marie-Tooth disease, or CMT, is a disorder that affects the sensory and motor nerves in the arms, hands, feet, and legs. Find out about how orthopedic specialists were able to … READ MORE

Scoot and score: Adapted volt hockey offers a new playing field for youngsters of all abilities

Albertans can give the adapted sport a shot during six-week sessions. Volt hockey is a type of floor hockey geared towards young players with mobility difficulties, such as muscular dystrophy and cerebral palsy. The coaches at the … READ MORE

I’m learning to accept the benefits of my mobility aids

I recently read an article in the Virginia Journal of Education that made me think about my feelings toward my mobility aids. The author, Kelly Hickok, is a wheelchair user, and she described how mobility aids give her a sense of … READ MORE

Use of ankle-foot orthotics linked to improved gait, balance in CMT patients

Use of orthoses such as braces or other special devices can help improve the gait and balance of patients with Charcot-Marie-Tooth disease, but patients don’t always follow recommendations for their use, a review study has found. … READ MORE

A thank you to my old AFOs

In grade school, I used to launch my ankle-foot orthoses (AFOs) from my foot and into the air by twisting my toes as I kicked as high and as hard as I could. I would watch my AFOs spin in the sky before they fell to the ground. The … READ MORE

3D printed ankle-foot orthotics for functionality and comfort

3D printing has played a large and varied role in medical implants, devices, and more. Australian researchers from the University of Sydney recently published a methodical review, outlining the challenges in traditionally made … READ MORE

Path of least resistance: Sequencing orthotic care

The higher profile the device, the more it perturbs movement, and sometimes kids reject such orthoses because of discomfort or unwieldiness. Starting with the least restrictive device and responding to subtle changes in children’s … READ MORE

Orthotic management: A symptom-based, dynamic approach

Orthotic devices, tailored to each patient and adjusted for disease progression, can improve mobility by addressing gait impairments and maintaining stability. Jeff Seitzer. Joshua Albanese Lower Extremity Review photo By Cary … READ MORE

Gait scores can help identify CMT and determine severity, study suggests

Two scores that evaluate gait characteristics may help differentiate between those who have Charcot-Marie-Tooth (CMT) disease and those who are not affected, according to a study. [1] Making adjustments: Jori Reijonen, of Kalamazoo, … READ MORE

Scientists zero in on treatment for Charcot-Marie-Tooth disease

About 1 in 2,500 people have a degenerative nerve disease called Charcot-Marie-Tooth (CMT). The disease is typically diagnosed in children, who can lose their ability to walk and use their hands for fine motor skills. There is no … READ MORE

AFOs and balance issues in peripheral neuropathy

At a symposium in Cape Town, South Africa, an orthotist demonstrated his technique for treating balance issues in patients with peripheral neuropathy using ankle foot orthoses (AFOs), and a team of researchers theorized about … READ MORE

Out on a limb: Healing arts

Healthcare practitioners and artists wouldn’t seem to have much in common, other than perhaps an appreciation of anatomy. But a new book has made me think the two professions also share an appreciation of people. The woman in the … READ MORE

Children with Charcot-Marie-Tooth respond to AFOs

Muscle weakness and instability associated with Charcot-Marie-Tooth disease in children can be addressed with ankle foot orthoses, research suggests, but practitioners should be aware of the limitations of AFOs in this patient … READ MORE

AFO users must rethink concept of ‘normal’ gait

Ankle foot orthoses can make a neuromuscular patient’s gait pattern more like that of an unaffected person, but the devices can also be associated with compensations of their own. And in some patients, a more ‘normal’ gait … READ MORE

Improving foot posture, balance in CMT may aid ankle stability

Early care advised for FAI prevention. “…ankle sprains in children with CMT are not prevented adequately as the neurological condition is not often diagnosed in childhood, unless present in another family member. He noted that … READ MORE

Biomechanics of propulsion: Implications for AFOs

For many patients, the ability of an ankle foot orthosis to enhance propulsion is key to improving gait efficiency and reducing fatigue. But experts are only beginning to understand the biomechanical complexities that influence … READ MORE

Charcot-Marie-Tooth: AFO mechanics and gait patterns

Patients with Charcot-Marie-Tooth disease showing the greatest increase in speed appear to respond to and utilize the energy storing and releasing properties of a carbon fiber composite ankle foot orthosis differently from those who … READ MORE

Equinus: Its surprising role in foot pathologies

Treatment for equinus should be aimed at increasing ankle joint dorsiflexion to facilitate normal gait mechanics. In most cases, non-spastic forms of equinus tend to be more treatable and easily corrected than the spastic … READ MORE

Diane Covington: AFOs positively impact every aspect of her dynamic life

It’s a happy coincidence that Diane Covington lives just a few miles from a New Balance store, for two reasons. The brand’s sporty and comfortable styles are perfectly suited for Covington’s life on the go. And they come in … READ MORE

Brennan Ryan: With AFOs and cool sneakers, this 10-year-old can be a regular kid

If you ask Brennan Ryan what his favorite after-school activities are, he’ll tell you, “Basketball, baseball, flag football, and Cub scouts.” Ask him what his favorite part of school is and he’ll answer, “Recess.” This … READ MORE

Orthotic Management of CMT, Charcot-Marie-Tooth

Ankle foot orthoses, AFOs, can help compensate for muscle weakness and accommodate related structural deformities in patients with Charcot-Marie-Tooth disease, but practitioners are constantly looking for ways to improve suboptimal … READ MORE