Kinesiology

Check out Nike’s crazy new machine-designed track shoe

THE SPIKE PLATE on Nike’s Zoom Superfly Elite—one of Nike’s new track shoes for this summer’s Olympics—looks surprisingly glam-rock, for a piece of athletic wear. It’s metallic, bluish-purple, and sports an amorphous, … READ MORE

CP studies assess advantages of flexible AFOs for children

The flexibility of an ankle foot orthosis (AFO) does not necessarily affect walking economy in children with cerebral palsy (CP), but more flexible AFOs may be particularly beneficial for sports activities in higher-performing … READ MORE

Walk this way: New metric could help kids with cerebral palsy

For more than 20 years, clinicians working with children with cerebral palsy have been gathering “a deluge of data” to understand and treat their patients’ walking difficulties. But they still weren’t sure which children with … READ MORE

Effects of decompressive brace use in medial compartment knee osteoarthritis

Knee osteoarthritis is a prevalent disease. Unloading the affected compartment using a brace is a treatment option. OssKin Evoke Study design was within subjects; pre- and post testing — to determine whether a de-compressive knee … READ MORE

Soccer shoe bending stiffness significantly alters game-specific physiology

The purpose of this study was to investigate the effects of soccer shoes with differing bending stiffness on physiological and performance variables in a game-like situation using a continuous field-based work protocol (the … READ MORE

Showing your shoe smarts

Ladies, there is a reason certain grandmas wear the shoes they do: comfort. There are many over-the-counter options for orthotics, so it does take a little experimentation to find the right one. Once you’ve tried a few (soft, … READ MORE

Here’s what might be happening to your feet when you run in shoes

Study tracking runners’ steps found sneakers make certain muscles work harder. For decades, avid runners and casual joggers have had their ups and downs with the running shoe. Some argue that the shoes’ spongy soles help us bound … READ MORE

Motor skills will not develop fully without opportunities to practice

Knowing that motor skills will not develop to their full potential without opportunities to practice in environments that are stimulating and supportive, we evaluated the effect of a physical activity (PA)-based intervention targeting … READ MORE

Gender, gait and knee OA: Kinematic data have rehab implications

In the moment: Rehabilitation.. Women with and without knee osteoarthritis (OA) demonstrate greater knee abduction and hip adduction during gait than their male counterparts, according to research from Canada that supports the … READ MORE

Do orthotics for foot injuries really work?

As baby boomers age and continue to participate in sports, more and more are suffering from foot injuries, such as plantar fasciitis and hallux valgus. And researchers have proposed the inserts as treatments for back, hip, knee and … READ MORE

Smart insoles: Assessing their clinical potential

Athletes have been quick to embrace smart insoles and the biomechanical data generated by the devices’ embedded sensors. But experts believe smart insoles may also have potential clinical applications for patients with foot health … READ MORE

Improving surgery outcomes for children with cerebral palsy

Children with cerebral palsy frequently undergo invasive surgeries — lengthening tendons, rotating bones, transferring muscles to new locations — in hopes of improving their physical ability to walk or move. Walk-DMC is a new, … READ MORE

Measuring postural sway to diagnose neuromuscular disorders

A new technique might be used to diagnose neuromuscular disorders such as multiple sclerosis or impairment from concussions by detecting and measuring subtle oscillations in a person’s standing posture. Eadweard Muybridge … READ MORE

Mobility plays important role in development for toddlers with disabilities

Typical toddlers simultaneously spend about three hours a day in physical activity, play and engagement with objects such as toys, while their peers with mobility disabilities are less likely to engage in all of those behaviors at the … READ MORE

Factors that influence prescription of foot orthoses

Despite foot orthoses being one of the main interventions for foot pathology, there is a lack of knowledge about current orthotic practice and the use of technology within it. My way… (but your way is good too). Dancified ‘Current … READ MORE

Out on a limb: The arch triumphs

The spring-like properties of the arch of the foot may improve running economy. Could the right footwear design help even more? Boys from the Paris Opera Ballet School By Jordana Bieze Foster, Editor, Lower Extremity Review February … READ MORE

Shoe flexibility influences gait in early walkers

Sole stiffness affects stance time. A recent study published in the winter issue of Pediatric Physical Therapy found that children just learning to walk may have altered gait characteristics when wearing flexible shoes. Myths about … READ MORE

Vibration therapy improves mobility and strength in young people with cerebral palsy

Young adults with cerebral palsy enjoy stronger bones and greater mobility after training on a specialised vibration plate. Mobility-enhancing care in CP helps strengthen bones. Kids at the Atlanta center work on improving motor … READ MORE

Custom foot orthotics

Any insole that offers an increased level of support is probably better than nothing, but the difference between a prefab [off the shelf] and a full custom orthotic is basically on a scale of varying levels of support and specificity. … READ MORE

Combination therapy eases OA knee pain

“…the long-term clinical studies of stimulator treatment have shown reductions in pain and associated symptoms, improved function, overall improvement in OA knees, and substantial deferral of TKA for at least 4 years.” Lower … READ MORE

Optimize bracing for knee OA

Significant improvements in pain, function and loading, and propulsive forces were seen with the valgus brace. Evoke™ knee brace highlights. OssKin By Larry Hand, Lower Extremity Review November 2013 ▽ Table of Contents … READ MORE

Exercise is ‘most effective’ method of preventing lower back pain

Exercises for golfers to prevent back pain. Watchfit “Exercise is the best medicine to banish back pain and stop people taking sick days,” reports the Daily Mirror. While this may be true, the research in question did not … READ MORE

Do elite athletes have an anti-aging secret in their muscles?

Elite runners do not experience the muscle weakening associated with aging as non-athletes do. A new study published in the American Journal of Physiology—Cell Physiology examines if their superb fitness is because their muscles … READ MORE

Battle of Achilles II: How the debate is informing clinical practice

Four years later, the ongoing discussion of the relative merits of surgical and nonsurgical management of Achilles tendon rupture is starting to affect practice patterns – even in the US. Sara Mearns, New York City Ballerina. … READ MORE

EXO-L custom ankle support prevents sprains

“The mechanism employed by this external ankle ligament,” says the company, “offers full protection against spraining your ankles without decreasing your freedom of movement and comfort.” Ankle injuries such as sprains and … READ MORE

Ankle motion may predict who will respond to lateral wedge insoles

Lateral wedge insoles are a potential simple treatment for medial knee osteoarthritis (OA) patients by reducing the external knee adduction moment (EKAM). However in some patients, an increase in their EKAM is seen. Understanding the … READ MORE

UCSF study reveals weight loss protects knees

Obese people who lose a substantial amount of weight can significantly slow degeneration of cartilage in the knee, a common site of osteoarthritis in aging baby boomers, according to a new MRI study by Alexandra Gersing MD, and nine … READ MORE

Hip-abductor strengthening protocol for runners with patellofemoral pain syndrome

Reed Ferber, PhD. Knee Injury Study Investigator, Alberta Innovates – Health Solutions. Running Injury Clinic, University of Calgary. YouTube Mar 18, 2011 A 3-week hip-abductor muscle-strengthening protocol was effective in … READ MORE

Lateral wedge insoles not associated with improvement of knee pain in osteoarthritis

“These results suggest that compared with control interventions, lateral wedges are not efficacious for the treatment of knee pain in persons with medial knee osteoarthritis.” CHICAGO – Although a pooling of data from 12 studies … READ MORE

Development of the arch: functional implications

Contrary to the conclusions of early research, recent studies suggest that arch height does indeed affect lower extremity function. The biomechanics associated with different arch heights may provide a basis for treatment and … READ MORE

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