Podiatry Today Current Issue

A Guide To Topical Steroid Use For Dermatological Conditions

admin — Wed, 03 Sep 2008 17:01:39 -0400

Please click here for the full Continuing Medical Education article:

http://www.naccme.com/program/n-481/

Given the wide variety of topical steroids, this author reviews the potency and absorption of these agents, the pros and cons of different formulations, and potential side effects.

ACFAS Members Vote Against Dual APMA Membership

admin — Wed, 03 Sep 2008 17:01:48 -0400

The membership of the American College of Foot and Ankle Surgeons (ACFAS) has agreed with the college’s board of directors that renewing members do not have to maintain membership in the American Podiatric Medical Association (APMA).

In the recent vote, 53 percent supported the board’s original decision from last fall. Podiatric surgeons must still be members of the APMA when they join the ACFAS but can drop association membership when they renew college membership. Reportedly 66 percent of the ACFAS membership cast their votes on this issue.

John Giuri

Understanding The Impact Of Diabetic Neuropathy On Gait

admin — Wed, 03 Sep 2008 17:01:48 -0400

Sensory neuropathy is the most common form of diabetic neuropathy. Nerve damage results from poorly managed and chronically high levels of blood sugar. In patients who have type 1 diabetes, which usually affects those 25 years and younger, there is insulin deficiency. In regard to people with type 2 diabetes, their insulin production inadequately meets the body’s daily need to metabolize sugar and starches found in such foods as bread, potatoes, rice and corn.
In sensory polyneuropathy, nerve damage occurs many years after the onset of type 1 diabetes and poor glycemic m

When A Patient Presents With Symmetrical Lesions On The Toes

admin — Wed, 03 Sep 2008 17:01:48 -0400

A 32-year-old Caucasian female presents to the office with swollen, sore, irritated, itchy toes of both feet and a symmetrical distribution on the tops of the toes.
She notes that the redness started four weeks ago. It was on the third toe initially but is now on other toes as well, according to the patient. There is no scaling or maceration in the interspaces, and no scaling on the rest of the foot.

Pertinent Roundtable Insights On Indications For Orthotic Management

admin — Wed, 03 Sep 2008 17:01:48 -0400

Choosing the most effective type of orthotic device for a given condition can be tricky as one must consider factors that include materials, potential modifications and cost.
Accordingly, the panelists discuss possible indications for OTC orthoses, conditions that are particularly challenging to treat with orthotics and the role of functional foot orthoses in managing bunion deformities.

Q: Are all prefabricated, over-the-counter (OTC) foot support systems essentially the same? Are there unique characteristics of any of the devices which makes them better s

read more

What You Should Know About Planal Dominance And Pronated Feet

admin — Wed, 03 Sep 2008 17:01:48 -0400

It is unfortunate that the terms pes planus and flatfoot are so ingrained in the medical literature because they concentrate attention on only one component of a very complex deformity. Smith and Ocampo described a classification for pes “pronatus” based on an earlier work by Borelli and Smith that identified the dominant plane of the deformity.^1,2 Although it was originally designed for surgical procedure planning, it is equally ideal for non-surgical treatment.
Dating back to the 1970s, biomechanical theory of the pronation syndromes concentrated almost

read more

Emerging Concepts In Shockwave Therapy

admin — Wed, 03 Sep 2008 17:01:48 -0400

When musculoskeletal extracorporeal shockwave therapy (ESWT) was first introduced in the United States with the first FDA approval in 2000, there was a great deal of controversy and posturing among manufacturers of ESWT technologies. Each company was determined to create an exclusive market for their product at the expense of the competition. One of the most common targets for criticism was the level of energy of the technology. Based on industry biases, high-energy ESWT was considered the most effective for the musculoskeletal system. Those devices that failed to reach high energy we

read more

Should You Cast Achilles Tendon Ruptures?

admin — Wed, 03 Sep 2008 17:01:48 -0400

Surgeons routinely make treatment decisions based on their training and experience. For example, we typically employ non-operative treatment of Achilles ruptures for the elderly. Surgical repair, on the other hand, is usually recommended for younger, active patients. The traditional teachings on the long-term outcome after Achilles rupture tend to lump conservative treatment of acute rupture with non-operative treatment of delayed presentation and neglected rupture. Surgeons learn that non-operative treatment results in slow healing, weakness, calf atrophy, re-rupture and loss of func

read more

How To Perform An Isolated Subtalar Joint Arthrodesis

admin — Wed, 03 Sep 2008 17:01:48 -0400

Isolated arthrodesis procedures for the hindfoot are an interesting and sometimes controversial topic for foot and ankle surgeons. Historically, when it came to most major rearfoot deformities and joint conditions, surgeons utilized the triple arthrodesis versus any isolated joint fusions of this complex. The thinking was that the subtalar, calcaneocuboid and talonavicular joints all function together to allow pronation and supination of the entire foot, so if one joint needed fusion, they all needed fusion.
The trend during the past decade or two has been more toward preservi

read more

Can The HyProCure Implant Provide The Answer For Hyperpronation?

admin — Wed, 03 Sep 2008 17:01:48 -0400

For DPMs dealing with the common condition of hyperpronation, the HyProCure^™ Sinus Tarsi Implant may be one of the more intriguing treatment options to date.
Composed of medical grade titanium, the implant serves as an internal orthotic that essentially turns the negative space of the sinus tarsi into a positive space, according to the implant’s manufacturer Gramedica.
Gramedica says the HyProCure implant is stronger than bone and requires one small incision for insertion without the need for casting after the procedure. Paul Clint Jones, DPM, has su

read more