Are Orthoses Effective Against Plantar Fasciitis In The Long Run?

     Orthoses are an integral part of the podiatric armamentarium to treat plantar fasciitis. However, a recent study calls into question the long-term efficacy of using orthoses to treat the condition.

     The study, which was published in a recent issue of the Archives of Internal Medicine, looked at 135 patients with plantar fasciitis, who were randomized to wear either a prefabricated orthosis made of firm foam, a customized orthosis made of semirigid plastic or a sham orth

Bioengineered alternative tissues, or skin substitutes, can lead to success in patients with wounds that have not responded well to other modalities. Accordingly, our expert panelists offer a closer look at where these products fit into the wound healing armamentarium and share pertinent pearls from their clinical experience with these products.
Q: What skin substitutes do you utilize in treating lower extremity wounds?
A: Paul Kim, DPM, has had success using Apligraf® (Organogenesis) for more superficial chronic wounds. He cautions practitioners that it may take multipl

   The balance between technology and clinical practice is difficult to obtain. In the past, technology lagged far behind. Innovative thought and technique was stymied by the inability to develop practical instrumentation and implants. In recent years, however, the opposite effect has occurred. New materials and devices have inundated the marketplace. While these devices have been demonstrated to be safe, they are not necessarily any more efficacious and are certainly more costly than existing products.

   Indeed, practitioners must be vigilant in evaluating t

   Surgeons have traditionally relied upon autografts, replacement bone from sources within the patient’s own body, as the gold standard for graft remodeling in bone fracture and primary osseous repair. While autograft bone is superior in its ability to provide osteogenic mesenchymal stem cells (MSCs), it has the inherent problem of limited supply and morbidity associated with harvesting from donor sites. Given these limitations, there has been a need for orthobiologic bone substitutes and these products continue to emerge and evolve as viable graft alternatives.

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   Many podiatric physicians are suddenly realizing the importance of their practice as a retirement asset. The sale of a practice, its value and the associated terms of the sale can either substantially supplement a retirement nest egg or be the source of retirement delaying frustration. Understanding the process of a practice transaction or sale, and having a deliberate and proactive strategy to enhance the value of the practice are likely to reduce the stress and frustration in addition to providing some supplementary retirement funds.

   There are a my