A recent case study compared three ankle foot orthoses for treating posterior tibial tendon dysfunction (PTTD) also known as adult acquired flatfoot. Neville CG, Houck JR, Choosing among 3 ankle-foot orthoses for a patient with stage II posterior tibial tendon dysfunction, J Orthop Sports Phys Ther. 2009 Nov;39(11):816-24. The case study considered a custom non-articulating […]
On behalf of everyone at Tamarack Habilitation Technologies, I’d like wish all our customers, friends and business partners a safe and wonderful Christmas and holiday season. Holiday Hours, in observance of Christmas and New Years Day Tamarack will be closed December 24-27th, returning to normal business hours on Monday December 28th, 2009. We will also […]
Plagiocephaly (or “Plagio”) is a deformation of the skull caused by repeated & consistent external pressure such as utero constraint, back sleeping or as a result of prematurity or another disorder. 1 in 300 infants exhibit some form of plagiocephaly, although the most serious developmental incidence is just 0.4 to 1 per 1,000 live births. […]
An article in the December 2009 issue of O&P Almanac, entitled “University of Michigan Advances Tissue Engineering”, reveals that researchers are identifying ways to recreate the sense of touch with artificial limb users. Funded by the Department of Defense, the research project developed from the need for better prosthetic devices for wounded troops. Traditional upper-extremity […]
This news item will not be in our employee recruitment brochure: I was at a conference last Wednesday, the day of the big snowstorm in the Midwest. When I came into my office on Thursday, I found a snow drift in my office. It wasn’t as big as the ones outside, but it did reach […]
Excessive shear stresses on the foot can cause a variety of problems. One of those problems is a condition called metatarsalgia. Metatarsalgia generally refers to pain in the metatarsal region of the foot, i.e., the area in front of the arch and behind your toes that includes the ball of your foot. The primary symptom […]
We discussed the disadvantages of moleskin for treating skin trauma in an earlier blog entry, Moleskin: Review of an Outdated Foot Care Remedy. In Blogs, Listservs, and other locations, however, we continue to read recommendations from orthotists to use moleskin to manage skin irritation caused by orthotic devices. Moleskin has three disadvantages: First, it is […]
The number of people in the United States with diabetes will nearly double from 23.7 million in 2009 to 44.1 million in 2034. During this same time annual costs will almost triple from $113 billion to $336 billion. This is according to a recent study from researchers at the University of Chicago led by Elbert […]
The World Congress on Orthopedic Shoe Technology (known as “IVO 2009“) was held in the Hague, Netherlands, November 12-14. Dennis Janisse, C.Ped, Assistant Professor, Medical College of Wisconsin, and President of National Pedorthic Services, Inc., presented a talk entitled: “Reducing Friction and Shear: both You and Your Patient will Benefit.” The talk reviewed the science […]
Here at Tamarack, we have had many, many inquiries about pet orthotics (i.e, orthopedic bracing for pets) during the past year. This blog entry summarizes helpful information. This white paper, “Cranial Cruciate Ligament Injury in Dogs” provides background on the most common custom brace (or orthosis) which is made to support the dog’s stifle joint […]