foot function

The aim of this study was to compare the clinical effect of operative treatment and nonoperative treatment for elderly patients with Sanders II-III calcaneal fractures.The study consisted of 60 patients with Sanders II-III calcaneal fractures who were treated in our institution from January 2007 to April 2012. The clinical effect between the operative treatment group of 32 patients and the nonoperative treatment group of 28 patients was studied. Böhler angle, Gissane angle, subtalar joint motion, calcaneal width, and calcaneal height were measured before and after treatment, and these indexes were also measured on the uninjured foot...

BACKGROUND: Functional magnetic resonance imaging (fMRI) is a promising method for quantifying brain recovery and investigating the intervention-induced changes in corticomotor excitability after stroke. This study aimed to evaluate cortical reorganization subsequent to virtual reality-enhanced treadmill (VRET) training in subacute stroke survivors. METHODS: Eight participants with ischemic stroke underwent VRET for 5 sections per week and for 3 weeks. fMRI was conducted to quantify the activity of selected brain regions when the subject performed ankle dorsiflexion...

This study was undertaken to prepare novelly formulated cookies from elephant foot yam flour (EFYF) with refined wheat flour (RWF) and evaluate their proximate composition, quality characteristics, texture, pasting and organoleptic properties. The formulated cookies prepared from EFYF, substituting RWF up to 70% had sensory properties similar to that of refined flour cookies (control). EFYF and RWF blend revealed reduced water and oil absorption capacity with increased peak and final viscosities when compared with RWF...

Glomerular sclerotic lesions develop when the glomerular filtration surface area exceeds the availability of podocyte foot process coverage, but the mechanisms involved are incompletely characterized. We evaluated potential mechanisms using a transgenic (podocin promoter-AA-4E-BP1) rat in which podocyte capacity for hypertrophy in response to growth factor/nutrient signaling is impaired. FSGS lesions resembling human FSGS developed spontaneously by 7 months of age, and could be induced earlier by accelerating kidney hypertrophy by nephrectomy...

BACKGROUND: Disease-related foot pathology is recognised to have a significant impact on mobility and functional capacity in the majority of patients with rheumatoid arthritis (RA). The forefoot is widely affected and the metatarsophalangeal (MTP) joints are the most common site of symptoms. The plantar plates are the fibrocartilaginous distal attachments of the plantar fascia inserting into the five proximal phalanges. Together with the transverse metatarsal ligament they prevent splaying of the forefoot and subluxation of the MTP joints...

BACKGROUND: Little attention has been given to the segmental free gracilis muscle flap supplied by secondary proximal pedicles. We introduce a technical refinement for small-sized three-dimensional defect reconstruction on the foot. METHODS: Between November 2013 and August 2016, three patients with a mean age of 66 years (range 47-70 years) were included. A segmental gracilis free flap supplied by the most proximal secondary pedicle was harvested according to a modified "nugget design" to treat small-sized defects on the lower extremity requiring dead space reconstruction...

Diabetics may encounter different foot problems, which easily lead to infection, ulcers, and increased risk of amputation due to nerve or vascular injury. In order to reduce the risk of amputation, Buerger's exercise is one of the frequently used rehabilitation to improve the blood circulation in the lower limbs. However, it is difficult to evaluate the rehabilitation efficiency of Buerger's exercise objectively. In this study, a novel non-invasively optical system was developed to non-invasively monitor the change of the foot blood circulation before and after long-term Buerger's exercise...

Curing spinal cord injury (SCI) in mammals is a daunting task because of the lack of permissive mechanisms and strong inhibitory responses at and around the lesion. The neural cell adhesion molecule L1CAM (L1) has been shown to favor axonal regrowth and enhance neuronal survival and synaptic plasticity, and thus constitutes a viable target to promote regeneration after SCI. Since delivery of full-length L1 or its extracellular domain could encounter difficulties in translation to therapy in humans, we have identified several small organic compounds that bind to L1 and stimulate neuronal survival, neuronal migration, and neurite outgrowth in an L1-dependent manner...

In the general population, one-third of incidences during step negotiation occur during the transition to level walking. Furthermore, falls during curb negotiation are a common cause injury in older adults. Distal foot kinematics may be an important factor in determining injury risk associated with transition step negotiation. The purpose of this study was to identify foot and ankle kinematics of uninjured individuals during descent from varying step heights. A seven-segment foot model was used to quantify kinematics as participants walked on a level walkway, stepped down a single step (heights: 5 cm, 15 cm, 25 cm) and continued walking...

BACKGROUND: Ankle foot orthoses (AFOs) are orthotic devices that can be used to normalize the walking pattern of children with cerebral palsy (CP). One of the aims of orthotic management is to produce a more normal gait pattern by positioning joints in the proper position to reduce pathological reflex or spasticity. OBJECTIVE: To conduct a systematic review of the literature and establish the effect of treatment with various types of AFOs on gait patterns of children with CP...

Objective To observe the effect of Xinfeng Capsule (XFC) on Notch/Jagged-HES of type II alveolar epithelial cells (AECII). Methods Rats were divided for four groups: normal control (NC) group, model control (MC) group, leflunomide (LEF) group, XFC group, with 10 rats in each group. Complete Freund's adjuvant (CFA) was injected in the right foot plantar skin of each rat except for the NC group. After adjuvant arthritis was successfully induced, LEF group was given LEF (0.5 mg/100 g), and XFC group was treated with XFC (0...

Ring-Between-Ring (RBR) E3 ligases have been implicated in autoimmune disorders and neurodegenerative diseases. The functions of many RBR E3s are poorly defined and their regulation is complex, involving posttranslational modifications and allosteric regulation with other protein partners. The functional complexity of RBRs, coupled with the complexity of the native ubiquitination reaction that requires ATP, E1, and E2 enzymes, makes it difficult to study these ligases for basic research and therapeutic purposes...

BACKGROUND: Ankle arthrodesis provides satisfactory functional outcome based on basic daily activities, but information regarding more demanding tasks is limited. Also, studies reporting longer term survival and complication rates are sparse and concern small study populations. This study reports functional outcome with more focus on demanding tasks and sports and reports the mid- to long-term union and complication rates in a large study population. METHODS: Between 2005 and 2010, an ankle arthrodesis was performed on 185 ankles...

OBJECTIVE: To establish whether the use of ultrasound to direct shock waves to the area of greater calcification in calcaneal enthesopathies was more effective than the common procedure of directing shock waves to the point where the patient has the most tenderness. DESIGN: Two-armed nonblinded randomized control trial with allocation concealment. SETTING: The Sports Clinic at Sydney University. PATIENTS: Participants 18 years or older with symptomatic plantar fasciitis (PF) (with heel spur) or calcific Achilles tendinopathy (CAT)...

BACKGROUND: Fractures of the talar neck are relatively uncommon yet current interventions suffer from a high incidence of complications and poor functional outcomes. In the present study, we report a surgical treatment of Hawkins type III talar neck fracture through the approach of medial malleolar osteotomy and mini-plate for fixation and discuss the therapeutic effects after long-term follow-up. METHODS: From January 2010 to January 2015, 21 patients with 22 fractures were treated using this approach within days of sustaining the injury...

Balance during walking is of high importance to prosthesis users and may affect walking during baseline observation and evaluation. The aim of this study was to determine whether changes in walking balance occurred during an adaptation period following the fitting of a new prosthetic component. Margin of stability in the medial-lateral direction (MOSML) and an anterior instability margin (AIM) were used to quantify the dynamic balance of 21 unilateral transtibial amputees during overground walking. Participants trialled two prosthetic feet presenting contrasting movement/balance constraints; a Higher Activity foot similar to that of their own prosthesis, and a Lower Activity foot...

This paper presents the results of an investigation into the processes controlling development of a cryo-conditioned rock coast system in Hornsund, Svalbard. A suite of nested geomorphological and geophysical methods have been applied to characterise the functioning of rock cliffs and shore platforms influenced by lithological control and geomorphic processes driven by polar coast environments. Electrical resistivity tomosgraphy (ERT) surveys have been used to investigate permafrost control on rock coast dynamics and reveal the strong interaction with marine processes in High Arctic coastal settings...

BACKGROUND: The Foot and Ankle Ability Measure (FAAM) is among the most widely utilized and best psychometrically supported lower extremity-specific patient-reported outcome measures. However, its content relevance has never been directly subjected to patient assessment. METHODS: This was an institutional review board-approved, prospective, cross-sectional study of 75 patients with Achilles tendon diseases who ranked the relevance of the FAAM's items and subscales as 1 = Not relevant, 2 = Somewhat relevant, or 3 = Very relevant...

SIGNIFICANCE: Impaired wound healing is a major complication of diabetes, and can lead to development of chronic foot ulcers in a significant portion of patient. Despite the danger posed by poor healing, very few specific therapies exist, leaving patients at risk of hospitalization, amputation, and further decline in overall health. Recent Advances: Redox signaling is a key regulator of wound healing, especially through its influence on the extracellular matrix (ECM). Normal redox signaling is disrupted in diabetes leading to several pathological mechanisms that alter the balance between reactive oxygen species (ROS) generation and scavenging...

INTRODUCTION: Grade II chronic tibialis posterior tendon dysfunction (PTTD) poses a reconstructive challenge to the orthopaedic surgeon. Aim of this retrospective study is to report the clinical and radiographical results of a case series of 63 patients (102 ft) affected by grade II PTTD who underwent tailored surgical treatment at 10-year mean follow-up. MATERIALS AND METHODS: Sixty-three patients (102 ft) were available for clinical and radiological evaluation and were retrospectively reviewed at a mean follow-up of 125...