Advances in technique and availability of sequencing a human's genome has far reaching implications as a tool for research.How much of an ultimate expression of a certain trait or susceptibility to injury for is being increasingly studied. A recent review article in the British Journal of Sports Medicine reviews some of these studies as well as comments on its future uses and mis-uses. http://bjsm.bmj.com/content/49/23/1497.long

Would Changing Gait Pattern Decrease Your Likelihood of Running Injuries? - ScienceNewsline ROSEMONT, Ill. (April 6, 2016)--Are runners less injury-prone trekking barefoot than in pricey running shoes? Maybe, according to a new literature review in the March issue of the Journal of the American Academy of Orthopaedic Surgeons (JAAOS). Advances in running shoe technology in the last 40 years have not reduced injuries, but racing "barefoot" in shoes with minimal cushioning could help runners change their strides and landing patterns to prevent repetitive heel pain and stress fractures. Three of four active runners sustain injuries, mostly in the knee and lower leg. Most distance runners who use cushioned running shoes run heel-to-toe, or in a rearfoot strike (RFS) pattern. This action is associated with longer strides and excessive load force--up three times the runner's body weight--on the lower leg, knee, and hip. This leads to bone and soft-tissue injuries, tibial stress fractures, and severe heel pain, such as plantar fasciitis. Read article

Morbidity and Mortality Associated with Geriatric Ankle Fractures http://jbjs.org/content/97/21/1748 Raymond Y. Hsu, MD; Yoojin Lee, MS, MPH; Roman Hayda, MD; Christopher W. DiGiovanni, MD; Vincent Mor, PhD; Jason T. Bariteau,MD J Bone Joint Surg Am, 2015 Nov 04; 97 (21): 1748 -1755 Results suggest that ankle fractures in the 65+ age group are associated with decreased mortality rate i the next year as opposed to hip fractures in the same age group. A more aggresive approach should always be considered under the assumption that the patient is more active than not. But need to consider on a case by case basis weighting in in any co-morbidities.

This is a  blog related to foot and ankle news and articles. I will be  posting new articles I found of a general interest or some import regarding the field of foot and ankle surgery.  I hope that it will be an open forum for discussion as well. Sincerely Steven Sheskier, M.D.