The Journal of orthopaedic and sports physical therapy
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J Orthop Sports Phys Ther · Jun 1995
ReviewBiomechanical treatment of traumatic foot and ankle injuries with the use of foot orthotics.
Physical therapists commonly treat injuries that occur to the foot and ankle complex following trauma. The goals of rehabilitation typically focus on restoring motion and maximizing functional strength and proprioception. It is important to understand the normal biomechanics of the foot and ankle complex as well as the structural and biomechanical changes that occur following ankle fractures, calcaneal fractures, subtalar joint dislocations, and tarsometatarsal joint dislocations. The purpose of this paper is to provide a theoretical basis for the use of various types of foot orthotics in the biomechanical treatment of traumatic foot and ankle injuries.
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J Orthop Sports Phys Ther · Dec 1994
Randomized Controlled Trial Clinical TrialA randomized-control study of active and passive treatments for chronic low back pain following L5 laminectomy.
The professional literature contains relatively few randomized-control studies that have assessed the efficacy of physical therapy approaches to the management of patients with chronic low back pain (CLBP). The purposes of this study were: 1) to investigate the effects of physical agents, joint manipulation, low-tech exercise, and high-tech exercise on objective measures of CLBP; 2) to track the length of CLBP relief; and 3) to determine treatment cost-effectiveness. Two-hundred-fifty subjects (68 females, 182 males; ages 34-51 years) with CLBP following an L5 laminectomy were randomly assigned into five separate groups for a treatment period of 8 weeks. ⋯ Results revealed that: 1) only low-tech and high-tech exercise produced significant improvements (p < .05) in CLBP, 2) the mean period of CLBP relief ranged from 1.6 weeks (control) to 91.4 weeks (low-tech exercise), and 3) low-tech exercise was most cost-effective. It was concluded that: 1) low-tech and high-tech exercise were the only effective treatments for CLBP, 2) low-tech exercise produced the longest period of CLBP relief, and 3) low-tech exercise was the most cost-effective form of treatment. Clinically, low-tech exercise may be the treatment method of choice for the effective management of chronic low back pain.
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J Orthop Sports Phys Ther · Oct 1994
Influence of hamstring length on the standing position and flexion range of motion of the pelvic angle, lumbar angle, and thoracic angle.
Hamstring muscle length may be associated with specific pelvic and trunk postures, but the influence of hamstring length on trunk postures is not well documented. The purposes of this study were to examine the influence of hamstring length on 1) the pelvic angle, lumbar angle, and thoracic angle in standing; and 2) the flexion ranges of motion of the pelvic angle, lumbar angle, and thoracic angle during the toe-touch test. Surface platform pointers over bony landmarks and photography were used to examine the pelvic and trunk angles and ranges of motion of 10 men with short hamstrings, 10 men with medium hamstrings, and 10 men with long hamstrings while standing and after assuming the toe-touch position. ⋯ Significant differences were detected among groups for the three angles in the toe-touch position and the flexion ranges of motion during the toe-touch test (p < 0.05). Short hamstrings were associated with decreased flexion range of motion of the pelvic angle and lumbar angle and increased flexion range of motion of the thoracic angle. Therapeutic interventions should be considered in light of the influences of hamstring length on the flexion range of motion of the pelvic angle, lumbar angle, and thoracic. angle.
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J Orthop Sports Phys Ther · Jan 1989
Investigation of the flexible ruler as a noninvasive measure of lumbar lordosis in black and white adult female sample populations.
The opinions or assertions contained herein are the private views of the authors and are not to be construed as official or reflecting the views of the Army, the Department of Defense, or the U. S. Government. ⋯ The criterion validity of the flexible ruler as a measure of actual lumbosacral lordosis was poor (Pearsons' Correlation Coefficient = 0.30, N = 45). Because of the poor criterion validity of the flexible ruler compared to roentgenographically confirmed lumbar lordosis, the flexible ruler has questionable clinical value in the assessment of lumbar lordosis. J Orthop Sports Phys Ther 1989;11(1):3-7.
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The medial tarsal tunnel syndrome is a compression neuropathy involving the tibial nerve or its branches as they pass through the tarsal tunnel under the flexor retinaculum. Medial tarsal tunnel syndrome is not recognized as readily as its counterpart in the wrist. This syndrome can lead to a painful burning sensation in the medial border of the foot and into the great toe. ⋯ This paper reviews the anatomy, etiology, pathology, clinical presentation, and treatment of the medial tarsal tunnel syndrome. In order to bring more attention to this condition, our clinical experience is presented. J Orthop Sports Phys Ther 1984;6(1):39-45.