Foot Blog News - Issue 19 – July 2007
Diabetes and Wounds: Caring for Sores
WebMD- Every 30 seconds, somewhere in the world, someone loses a lower limb as a result of diabetes. That’s because diabetes and wounds are a dangerous combination.If you have diabetes, there’s no such thing as a minor wound to the foot — even a small foot sore can turn into an ulcer that, if not properly treated, can lead to amputation. The rate of amputation for people with diabetes is 10 times higher than for those who don’t have the disease.
Ossur’s PROPRIO FOOT Takes The Gold 2007 Medical Design Excellence Award
MNT- Ossur, a trusted and global developer of more scientifically advanced prosthetic innovations than any other company in the field, is pleased to announce that its PROPRIO FOOT™ is the winner of the Gold 2007 Medical Design Excellence Award, in the category of rehabilitation and assistive technology products. “The PROPRIO FOOT features several unique proprietary technologies that we are proud of,” said Hilmar Janusson, global vice president of R&D. “It is gratifying that our research and development team, which is also responsible for such novel products as the Unloader® One Osteoarthritis Knee Brace, is receiving this recognition.”
US trampoline injuries on the rise
UPI- PROVIDENCE, R.I., July 9 (UPI) — Trampoline injuries have more than doubled in the past decade and continue to rise, according to a Rhode Island Hospital study. The researchers examined data from 2001 and 2002 and found that an average of 75,000 children per year were seen in emergency departments across the country.
Health Tip: Keeping Seniors on Their Feet
Dr. Koop -(HealthDay News) — When an elderly person falls, it could cause life-threatening injury.Here are steps you can take to make your home safe for seniors, courtesy of the American Academy of Family Physicians.
Alcohol Injections For Common Cause Of Foot Pain Highly Successful, Study Proves
MNT -Sonographically-guided alcohol injections have a high success rate and is well tolerated by patients with Morton’s neuroma, a common cause of foot pain, according to a recent study conducted by researchers at the Royal National Orthopaedic Hospital and Kingston Hospital NHS Trust in Middlesex, United Kingdom.Morton’s neuroma is a growth of nerve tissue that occurs in a nerve in your foot, often between your third and fourth toes and usually causes a sharp, burning pain in the ball of your foot. For this study, researchers assessed the efficacy of a series of alcohol injections into the lesion.”I felt many patients with Morton’s neuroma were undergoing an operation that was unnecessary and that the neuroma could be successfully treated in a less invasive manner,” said David Connell, MD, lead author of the study.
Largest National U.S. Healthcare Facility MRSA Study Reveals Infection Rates Eight Times Greater Than Previous Estimates
MNT -The Association for Professionals in Infection Control and Epidemiology (APIC) today released initial results from a nationwide study of 1,237 U.S. healthcare facilities, examining the prevalence of Methicillin-resistant Staphylococcus aureus (MRSA), a virulent multi-drug resistant organism. Findings demonstrate MRSA prevalence rates to be at least 46 cases per 1,000 patients — significantly more widespread and established than previous estimated rates.
Motion Analysis Helps Teen With Cerebral Palsy Regain Ability To Walk
Generic Lamisil Tablets, Cream Approved
WebMD -The FDA today approved the first generic versions of prescription Lamisil tablets to treat nail fungus infection and a generic version of Lamisil cream to be sold as an over-the-counter athlete’s foot treatment.Lamisil is terbinafine hydrochloride. Its patent expired on June 30, 2007.The FDA approved applications from multiple generic drugmakers for generic versions of Lamisil tablets in 250-milligram formulations as a treatment for nail fungus. Such infections occur when fungi invade a fingernail or toenail, or the skin underneath the nail.
Blood Thinner Rescues Frostbitten Fingers And Toes
MNT -A blood thinner routinely used to prevent brain damage in strokes dramatically reduced the risk of amputation from severe frostbite in a preliminary study.Researchers report that only 10 percent of frostbitten toes and fingers had to be amputated in patients who were given tissue plasminogen activator (tPA), an anti-clotting agent, in addition to standard frostbite treatment (rewarming, rehydrating and cleaning the wounded areas); in contrast, 41 percent of frostbitten digits had to be amputated in victims who received only conventional care.
New Dynamic Brace Developed To Advance Clubfoot Treatment
MNT -A new brace that maintains correction for clubfoot, a birth defect in which the foot is turned in toward the body, has shown better compliance and fewer complications than the traditional brace used to treat the condition.Matthew B. Dobbs, M.D., associate professor of orthopedic surgery at the School of Medicine, designed the new dynamic brace, called the Dobbs brace, to allow active movement, preserve muscle strength in the foot and ankle and be less restrictive to the child than the traditional brace.
‘Lost’ Orthopedic Screws Found by Medical Metal Detector
MNT -Inspired by the device used to find lost coins in the sand, Johns Hopkins undergraduates have invented a small handheld metal detector to help doctors locate hidden orthopedic screws that need to be removed from patients’ bodies. The device emits a tone that rises in pitch as the surgeon moves closer to the metal screw. It also serves as a surgical tool to guide the removal of the hardware.
Cigarette Smoking Impairs Ligament Healing
MNT -The list of reasons you shouldn’t smoke has gotten longer. Researchers at Washington University School of Medicine in St. Louis are reporting that smoking interferes with ligament healing.Studying mice with knee ligament injuries, the team discovered cigarette smoking impairs the recruitment of cells to the injury site and delays healing following ligament-repair surgery. They reported their findings in the Journal of Orthopaedic Research.
European Medicines Agency Recommends Restricted Use For Piroxicam
MNT -The European Medicines Agency (EMEA) has recommended restrictions on the use of piroxicam-containing medicinal products because of the risk of gastrointestinal side effects and serious skin reactions. The Agency’s Committee for Medicinal Products for Human Use (CHMP) concluded that piroxicam should no longer be used for treatment of short-term painful and inflammatory conditions. Piroxicam can still be prescribed for the symptomatic relief of osteoarthritis, rheumatoid arthritis and ankylosing spondylitis. However it should not be the first choice of non-steroidal anti-inflammatory drug (NSAID) treatment in these conditions.
Further Legitimization Of Fibromyalgia As A True Medical Condition
MNT -Fibromyalgia, a chronic, widespread pain in muscles and soft tissues accompanied by fatigue, is a fairly common condition that does not manifest any structural damage in an organ. Twenty-five years ago, Muhammad B. Yunus, MD, and colleagues published the first controlled study of the clinical characteristics of fibromyalgia syndrome. That seminal article, published in Seminars in Arthritis and Rheumatism, led directly to formal recognition of this disease by the medical community. In the June 2007 issue of Seminars in Arthritis and Rheumatism, Dr. Yunus once again makes an enormous contribution to the field of chronic pain and fatigue by meticulously synthesizing and interpreting the extensive body of scientific literature on fibromyalgia and his own insights into the concept of central sensitivity syndromes (CSS).
