Initial clinical assessment of a novel wound management system: a case series.

The importance of exudate management for maintaining local moisture balance and avoiding maceration in the chronic wound environment is well established. The authors performed the initial clinical testing of a novel wound management system, Sepaderm (Aalnex, Inc, Irvine, California), designed to vertically wick and sequester excess exudate away from wound/periwound tissues to promote a healthy wound environment. In this series of 14 patients with lower-extremity chronic venous leg and diabetic foot ulcers, the 3-component system was well tolerated and demonstrated the ability to prevent exudate leakage onto periwound tissue and reduce existing pain and itching.

Agapé Christian reconciliation conversations: exploring the intersections of culture, religiousness, and homosexual identity in Latino and European americans.

To understand how homophobia manifests itself through a Latino cultural lens of identity, a program was designed to address the issues connecting homosexual identity, culture, and Christianity. The program included screening of one of two documentary films about lesbian, gay, and bisexual (LGB) identity and family relations. This was followed by group sharing and biblical reflections.

Biomechanics and clinical analysis of the adult acquired flatfoot.

The adult acquired flatfoot is a deformity that results from the loss of dynamic and static supportive structures of the medial longitudinal arch. The severity of the deformity is dependent upon the role of ligamentous disruption on the hindfoot that can be determined by careful clinical examination. Treatment of the adult flatfoot requires an understanding of the biomechanical effects of deforming forces, tendon dysfunction, ligament disruption, and joint sublaxation.

Effect of functional foot orthoses on first metatarsophalangeal joint dorsiflexion in stance and gait.

Reduction in first metatarsophalangeal joint maximum degree of dorsiflexion with dorsiflexion of the first ray has been proposed to be the predominant cause of hallux abducto valgus and hallux rigidus. We sought to determine whether orthoses made from a cast with the first ray plantarflexed and a 4-mm medial skive could increase the maximum degree of dorsiflexion in patients with functional hallux limitus in stance and gait. Forty-eight feet of 27 subjects were casted for orthoses with the first ray plantarflexed and in the customary neutral rearfoot position with locked midtarsal joint.