OBJECTIVE Five styles of commercial static wrist extensor orthoses were compared to determine whether any style, or styles, afforded better power grip strength or finger dexterity. Because wrist extensor orthoses are intended for use during functional tasks, their influence on hand function is of great importance. METHOD Twenty-three right-hand-dominant women without upper extremity dysfuncti...

OBJECTIVE Patellofemoral pain syndrome (PFPS) often results in reduced functional performance. There is growing evidence for the use of foot orthoses to treat this multifactorial condition. In this study, the immediate effects of foot orthoses on functional performance and the association of foot posture and footwear with improvements in function were evaluated. METHODS Fifty-two individuals ...

BACKGROUND Plantar fasciitis is a common condition routinely managed by podiatrists in the community and is widely treated conservatively. Two commonly used treatments for plantar fasciitis are customized functional foot orthoses and corticosteroid injections. While common to clinical practice, the evidence base underpinning these treatment strategies is unknown. Therefore, the aim of this syst...

The amounts of thoracic and lumbar spine motion restriction and passive trunk stiffness provided by three thoracolumbosacral orthoses (TLSOs) (Aspen TLSO, Boston Body Jacket, and CAMP TLSO) were compared. Ten subjects executed maximum trunk flexion, extension, and lateral bending motions. The spine motion was measured noninvasively with a thin strain gauge device (Flexducer), and passive trunk ...

Introduction Many upper-limb injuries have work-related causes such as continued use of computers, typing activities, mouse manipulation, and repetitive movements performed for long periods. This study evaluated the performance wrist-hand orthoses in manual tasks transmission torque measurement during canned glass opening. Methods Thirty healthy participants donning, typing, handwriting torque....

REFERENCE/CITATION Collins N, Bisset L, McPoil T, Vicenzino B. Foot orthoses in lower limb overuse conditions: a systematic review and meta-analysis. Foot Ankle Int. 2007;28(3):396-412. CLINICAL QUESTION Among patients with or at risk for musculoskeletal overuse conditions, (1) do foot orthoses provide clinically meaningful improvements, and (2) are foot orthoses cost-effective? DATA SOURCE...

BACKGROUND Foot orthoses are commonly used for symptomatic flexible pes planus in adults. However, there are no clinical guidelines for the prescription of customised foot orthoses that are specific to this population. The aim of this study was to investigate prescription habits of Australian podiatrists for customised foot orthoses for symptomatic flexible pes planus in adults and to develop c...

OBJECTIVE To quantify the effects of medial foot orthoses on skeletal movements of the calcaneus and tibia during the stance phase in running. DESIGN Kinematic effects of medial foot orthoses (anterior, posterior, no support) were tested using skeletal (and shoe) markers at the calcaneus and tibia. BACKGROUND Previous studies using shoe and skin markers concluded that medially placed orthos...

BACKGROUND It is a routine practice to prescribe a combination of rocker shoes and custom-made foot orthoses for patients with plantar fasciitis. Recently, there has been a debate on this practice, and studies have shown that the individual prescription of rocker shoes or custom-made foot orthoses is effective in treating plantar fasciitis. The aim of this study was to evaluate and compare the ...

A pologies to George Orwell but the Evidence Based gurus have replaced the Thought Police. The Ministry of Love has been taken over by the Cochrane Collaboration. Perhaps it is just as well! The latest piece of research to cross my desk creates some food for thought. One area of sports medicine that has slipped under the radar is podiatry, where practitioners prescribe orthoses on the basis tha...