Spatiotemporal gait parameters influencing functional mobility of people with lower limb amputation.

Background: Walking speed is a measure of functional mobility that is relatively easy to quantify. In people with lower limb amputation, reduced walking speed has been linked with specific atypical spatiotemporal gait parameters. However, the influence of atypical spatiotemporal gait parameters on the walking speed of people with unilateral transtibial amputation (TTA) and transfemoral amputation (TFA) remains unclear.

Spinal cord injury-specific prognostic risk assessment tool for development of type 2 diabetes.

Context: Available diabetes risk calculators were developed for able-bodied individuals, but their metabolic profile is different from individuals with spinal cord injury.

Objectives: We aimed to develop a diabetes risk assessment tool specific to individuals with spinal cord injury.

Methods: We used national Veterans Affairs data to identify patients with at least a 2-year history of spinal cord injury and no prior history of diabetes with a Veterans Heath Affairs visit from 2005-2007, and followed the 11,054 individuals that met inclusion criteria for up to 17 years to assess diabetes development.

Posttraumatic Stress Disorder and Weight Loss in Male and Female Active-duty Service Members: A Weight Management Study.

Background: Overweight and obesity are critical public health concerns with relevance to U.S. military personnel, as active duty service members must meet physical fitness and body composition standards.

Clinimetric analysis of the numeric pain rating scale, patient-rated tennis elbow evaluation, and tennis elbow function scale in patients with lateral elbow tendinopathy.

Background: Currently, there is conflicting clinimetric data on the patient-rated tennis elbow evaluation (PRTEE) and a paucity of evidence regarding the reliability, validity, and responsiveness of the numeric pain rating scale (NPRS), and tennis elbow function scale (TEFS) in patients with lateral elbow tendinopathy.

Objective: Perform a comprehensive clinimetric analysis of the NPRS, PRTEE, and TEFS in a sample of patients ( = 143) with lateral elbow tendinopathy.

Methods: Establish the reliability, construct validity, responsiveness, meaningful clinically important difference (MCID), and minimal detectable change (MDC) values for the NPRS, PRTEE, and TEFS at the 3-month follow-up.

The effect of carbon fiber custom dynamic orthosis type on kinematics and kinetics of lower extremity joints in individuals with lower limb traumatic injuries.

Background: Carbon fiber custom dynamic orthoses have been used to improve gait mechanics after lower limb trauma in military service members, with the goal of restoring function and improving outcomes. However, the effects of commercially available carbon fiber orthoses available to civilians on lower extremity joint kinetics and kinematics are poorly understood.

Research Question: The aim of this study was to examine the effect of two commercially available orthoses on lower extremity kinematics and kinetics in individuals with lower limb trauma.

Systematic Review: Efficacy of Medical Therapy on Outcomes Important to Pediatric Patients with X-Linked Hypophosphatemia.

Objective: To examine the evidence addressing the management of X-linked hypophosphatemia (XLH) in children to inform treatment recommendations.

Methods: We searched Embase, MEDLINE, Web of Science, and Cochrane Central up to May 2023. Eligible studies included RCTs and observational studies of individuals less than 18yrs with clinically or genetically confirmed XLH.

Multicomponent telerehabilitation program for veterans with multimorbidity: A randomized controlled feasibility study.

Background: Older veterans with multimorbidity experience physical and social vulnerabilities that complicate receipt of and adherence to physical rehabilitation services. Thus, traditional physical rehabilitation programs are insufficient to address this population's heterogenous clinical presentation.

Objective: To evaluate the feasibility and acceptability of a MultiComponent TeleRehabilitation (MCTR) program for older veterans with multimorbidity.

Opportunities and barriers for reimbursement of digital therapeutics in Austria: Findings From expert interviews.

Background: Digital therapeutics (DTx) are software-based interventions that aim to prevent or treat especially non-communicable diseases. Currently, no framework for reimbursement of DTx exists in Austria. The aim of this study was to gather a comprehensive perspective on regulatory considerations of Austrian stakeholders with regard to reimbursement of DTx and to outline strategies for establishing a national reimbursement framework.

Long-Term Trajectories of Older Adults Served by an Emergency Department/Hospital-Based Elder Mistreatment Response Program.

Background: An emergency department (ED) visit or hospitalization provides an opportunity to identify elder mistreatment and initiate intervention, but this seldom occurs. To address this, we developed the Vulnerable Elder Protection Team (VEPT), a novel interdisciplinary consultation service. We explored the long-term trajectories of patients receiving VEPT evaluation and intervention.

Circulating Brain-Reactive Autoantibody Profiles in Military Breachers Exposed to Repetitive Occupational Blast.

Military breachers are routinely exposed to repetitive low-level blast overpressure, placing them at elevated risk for long-term neurological sequelae. Mounting evidence suggests that circulating brain-reactive autoantibodies, generated following CNS injury, may serve as both biomarkers of cumulative damage and drivers of secondary neuroinflammation. In this study, we compared circulating autoantibody profiles in military breachers ( = 18) with extensive blast exposure against unexposed military controls ( = 19).

Temporal Tissue Remodeling in Volumetric Muscle Injury with Endothelial Cell-Laden Patterned Nanofibrillar Constructs.

A primary challenge following severe musculoskeletal trauma is incomplete muscle regeneration. Current therapies often fail to heal damaged muscle due to dysregulated healing programs and insufficient revascularization early in the repair process. There is a limited understanding of the temporal changes that occur during the early stages of muscle remodeling in response to engineered therapies.

Advantages to interspace-level analyses over person-level analyses when studying relationships between lumbar spinal degeneration findings : a cross-sectional study.

Purpose: To examine associations between lumbar intervertebral disc degeneration (LDD) and type II Modic changes (MC) when retaining information at each interspace ("interspace-level analysis"), as compared to aggregating information across interspaces as is typically done in spine research ("person-level analysis") . The study compared results from (1) interspace-level analyses assuming a common relationship across interspaces (the "interspace-level, common-relationship" approach), (2) interspace-level analyses allowing for interspace-specific associations (an "interspace-level, interspace-specific" approach), and (3) a conventional person-level analytic approach.

Methods: Adults in primary care (n=147) received lumbar spine magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) and neuroradiologist-evaluated assessments of prevalent disc height narrowing (DHN), type II MC, and other LDD parameters.

Using What Matters Most to improve health care delivery for individuals and populations of veterans experiencing homelessness and substance use disorders.

Objectives: To understand ways in which the Personal Health Inventory (PHI), a tool to prompt reflection on what matters most and status in 8 components of health and well-being, can be used to inform care of homeless veterans entering a Mental Health Residential Rehabilitation Treatment Program, at individual and programmatic levels.

Methods: Mixed method study was conducted at one residential treatment program. Quantitative data was collected from the PHI (n=64) and was analyzed using descriptive statistics.

Revisiting the Defeatist Performance Belief Scale in Adults With Schizophrenia and Youth at Clinical High-Risk for Psychosis: A Comprehensive Psychometric Analysis.

Background And Hypothesis: In accordance with the Cognitive Model of Negative Symptoms, defeatist performance beliefs (DPBs) are an important psychosocial mechanism of negative symptoms in schizophrenia-spectrum groups. DPBs are also mediators of negative symptom improvement in clinical trials. Despite the clinical significance of DPBs and their inclusion as a mechanism of change measure in clinical trials, the psychometric properties of the DPB scale have not been examined in any schizophrenia-spectrum group.

Pilot Testing and Validation of an Educational Game on Transportation Challenges for Mobility Device Users.

Despite the increasing use of assistive mobility devices, practical education to navigate real-world ground transportation barriers is lacking. The educational board game, called HERL-Town, was developed to teach safe and effective navigation for mobility device users (MDUs) in the community. The study examined the initial validity, reliability, and overall quality of HERL-Town as an educational tool for overcoming transportation barriers in real-world environments.

Research priorities for improving cognitive and neuropsychological outcomes in hydrocephalus.

Hydrocephalus is a neurological disorder that impacts approximately 85 per 100,000 individuals worldwide and is associated with motor and cognitive impairments. While many advances in surgical interventions have helped substantially improve the survival rates and quality of life of those affected, there continues to be significant gaps in our understanding of the etiology of this heterogeneous condition as well as its specific neuropsychological and functional challenges across different phases of life. To address these limitations, the Hydrocephalus Association and Rudi Schulte Research Institute organized a workshop titled, "Improving Cognitive and Psychological Outcomes in Hydrocephalus", composed of top academics in the fields of hydrocephalus, cognition, and neuropsychology, as well as individuals with hydrocephalus or their caregivers.

Macular patterns of neuronal and visual field loss in recovered optic neuritis identified by machine learning.

We used machine learning to investigate the residual visual field (VF) deficits and macula retinal ganglion cell (RGC) thickness loss patterns in recovered optic neuritis (ON). We applied archetypal analysis (AA) to 377 same-day pairings of 10-2 VF and optical coherence tomography (OCT) macula images from 93 ON eyes and 70 normal fellow eyes ≥ 90 days after acute ON. We correlated archetype (AT) weights (total weight = 100%) of VFs and total retinal thickness (TRT), inner retinal thickness (IRT), and macular ganglion cell-inner plexiform layer (GCIPL) thickness.

Copper-cobalt diatomic bifunctional oxygen electrocatalysts based on three-dimensional porous nitrogen-doped carbon frameworks for high-performance zinc-air batteries.

Transition-metal-loaded carbon-based electrocatalysts are promising alternatives to conventional precious metal electrocatalysts for the oxygen reduction reaction (ORR) and oxygen evolution reaction (OER) in high-performance zinc-air batteries. However, efficiently doping transition-metal single atoms onto carbon-based frameworks is a significant challenge. Herein, an improved template-sacrificing method combining a two-step carbonization process is proposed to fabricate Cu/Co diatomic sites coanchored on a three-dimensional nitrogen-doped carbon-based framework.

Evaluating Self-Directed Rehabilitation for Knee and Hip Arthroplasty During the COVID-19 Pandemic: A Multicenter Study.

The COVID-19 pandemic has triggered the adoption of new technologies to reduce the need for in-person physical therapy (PT). This study evaluated the impact of the COVID-19 pandemic on PT utilization and outcomes of patients prescribed a smartphone-based care management platform (sbCMP) for self-directed rehabilitation (SDR). A secondary analysis of data collected in a multicenter, prospective cohort trial investigating a mobile platform to deliver SDR after arthroplasty was performed.

A multi-trait approach identified 7 novel genes for back pain.

Introduction: Back pain (BP) is a complex heritable trait with an estimated heritability of 40% to 60%. Less than half of this can be explained by known genetic variants identified in genome-wide association studies.

Objectives: We applied a powerful multi-trait and gene-based approach to association analysis of BP to identify novel genes associated with BP.

Supporting a lifetime of fitness for the military veteran athlete: a narrative review.

The military veteran starts their career at peak physical fitness. Once injured or retired, physical activity for the veteran is integral to rehabilitation, recovery, and ongoing wellness. This may require adaptation for continued participation in physical activity.

The Crucial Need for Occupational Therapy to Prioritize Postsecondary Transition.

Recent federal initiatives demonstrate that improving adult outcomes for youth with disabilities is a high priority for the United States. The U.S.