Summary Report of the Arthritis Foundation and the American Orthopaedic Foot & Ankle Society's Symposium on Targets for Osteoarthritis Research: Part 2: Treatment Options.

Unlabelled: This second of a 2-part series of articles recounts the key points presented in a collaborative symposium sponsored jointly by the Arthritis Foundation and the American Orthopaedic Foot & Ankle Society with the intent to survey current treatment options for osteoarthritis (OA) of the foot and ankle. A meeting was held virtually on December 10, 2021. A group of experts were invited to present brief synopses of the current state of knowledge and research in this area.

Summary Report of the Arthritis Foundation and the American Orthopaedic Foot & Ankle Society's Symposium on Targets for Osteoarthritis Research: Part 1: Epidemiology, Pathophysiology, and Current Imaging Approaches.

This first of a 2-part series of articles recounts the key points presented in a collaborative symposium sponsored jointly by the Arthritis Foundation and the American Orthopaedic Foot & Ankle Society with the intent to survey the state of scientific knowledge related to incidence, diagnosis, pathologic mechanisms, and injection treatment options for osteoarthritis (OA) of the foot and ankle. A meeting was held virtually on December 3, 2021. A group of experts were invited to present brief synopses of the current state of knowledge and research in this area.

Pedorthic management of the diabetic foot.

Background: Conservative pedorthic management of the diabetic foot has been shown to be an effective method to prevent ulcers, amputations, and re-amputations. This article exhibits why and how pedorthics plays such an important role via modalities such as footwear, shoe modifications, custom foot orthoses, and partial foot prostheses.

Objective: The objective of this article is to demonstrate how pedorthics has been shown to be an integral part of conservative diabetic foot care.

Shoes, orthoses, and prostheses for partial foot amputation and diabetic foot infection.

Amputations in patients with diabetes, while often preventable, are unfortunately a far too common outcome. The roles of the certified or licensed pedorthist, certified orthotist, and the certified prosthetist should not be undervalued in the prevention of diabetic foot complications (eg, amputations, revisions, and foot infections secondary to skin ulcerations) and in returning the patient a normal, active, and productive lifestyle in the event of an amputation. This article highlights the roles these specialists play in treating patients with partial foot amputation.

Shoe modification and the use of orthoses in the treatment of foot and ankle pathology.

Shoe modification and foot orthoses can play an important role in the nonsurgical management of foot and ankle pathology. Therapeutic footwear may be used to treat patients with diabetes, arthritis, neurologic conditions, traumatic injuries, congenital deformities, and sports-related injuries. These modalities may improve patient gait and increase the level of ambulation.

Biomechanics of the double rocker sole shoe: gait kinematics and kinetics.

The use of footwear with contoured soles is common in treatment and care of patients with diabetes; these rocker sole shoes are designed to alleviate loading in key areas on the plantar surface of the foot, reducing pressure in key areas and alleviating pain, and potential soft tissue damage. While investigations of pressure changes have been conducted, no quantitative study to date has addressed the three-dimensional (3D) kinematic and kinetic changes that result from using these shoes. Forty subjects were tested wearing both unmodified and double rocker sole shoes, and the resulting motion patterns were compared to assess change caused by the rocker sole.

Pedorthic and orthotic management of the diabetic foot.

Research as well as clinical experience has shown that pedorthic and orthotic modalities can be valuable tools in the care of the diabetic foot. The team approach is probably more beneficial to the successful treatment of the diabetic foot than nearly any other problem the physician encounters. Understanding pedorthic and orthotic principles and how to include and use the appropriate clinicians on the team can simplify the patient care process while decreasing complications such as ulcerations and amputations.

Effects of the toe-only rocker on gait kinematics and kinetics in able-bodied persons.

Rocker sole shoes are commonly prescribed to diabetic patients with insensate feet. Recent passage of the therapeutic shoe bill has drawn an increased focus on prescription of rehabilitative footwear. The purpose of this work is to investigate the dynamics of lower extremity joints (hip, knee, and ankle) with the application of a toe-only rocker sole shoe under controlled laboratory conditions.

Hindfoot containment orthosis for management of bone and soft-tissue defects of the heel.

Background: Bone, soft-tissue, and nerve deficits of the weightbearing surface of the foot are frequent sequelae from foot trauma or diabetes mellitus and present challenging treatment issues. Injury to the specialized, shock-absorbing, heel-pad tissue containing spirally arranged fat chambers is particularly difficult to manage. Appropriate footwear modifications and shoe inserts for protection of this skin are essential to the long-term management of bone and soft-tissue defects of the heel.

The Therapeutic Shoe Bill: Medicare coverage for prescription footwear for diabetic patients.

This article describes the extent of coverage and the process of obtaining Medicare coverage for prescription footwear for patients with diabetes and reflects policies in effect as of April 1, 2004.

Foot orthoses in rehabilitation--what's new.

Foot orthoses have been effective in the treatment of a variety of sport-related foot conditions. Although their use is well-established in clinical practice, many of the orthoses have not been evaluated in experimental conditions. Of the clinical studies that have examined the biomechanical changes associated with their use, many do not have predictable results.

Effect of rocker soles on plantar pressures.

Objective: To examine the effect of different types of rocker soles on plantar pressures.

Design: In-shoe plantar pressures were measured in subjects without deformity with baseline shoes and 3 types of rockers: toe-only, negative heel, and double.

Setting: Medical college.