Injectable silicone and the foot: a 41-year clinical and histologic history.

Background: Since 1964, the author has investigated injectable liquid silicone as a soft tissue substitute for the loss of plantar fat. This form of fatty tissue depletion over the sole is closely linked to a common painful weight-bearing foot disorder, metatarsalgia, and to painless diabetic foot ulcers.

Objectives: To present the history of injectable silicone, corporate interest, individuals who helped pursue approval, its misuses, and events that have delayed its availability.

The histologic host response to liquid silicone injections for prevention of pressure-related ulcers of the foot: a 38-year study.

This study analyzed the histologic effects of and host response to subdermally injected liquid silicone to augment soft-tissue cushioning of the bony prominences of the foot. A total of 148 postmortem and surgical specimens of pedal skin with attached soft tissue were obtained from 49 patients between July 1, 1974, and November 30, 2002. The longest period that silicone was in vivo was 38 years.

Locomotion in simulated microgravity: gravity replacement loads.

Background: When an astronaut walks or runs on a treadmill in microgravity, a subject load device (SLD) is used to return him or her back to the treadmill belt. The gravity replacement load (GRL) in the SLD is transferred, via a harness, to the pelvis and/or the shoulders. This research compared comfort and ground reaction forces during treadmill running in a microgravity locomotion simulator at GRLs of 60%, 80%, and 100% of body weight (BW).