DPM Blogs

Why Are We Missing The Boat When Offloading Diabetic Foot Ulcers?

Doug Richie Jr. DPM FACFAS
3/22/12 | 4316 reads | 1 comments
I am presenting a lecture about offloading diabetic foot ulcerations at this year’s Midwest Podiatry Conference. In preparation, I reviewed a recent review paper by Peter Cavanagh, PhD, a respected authority on the subject of offloading the diabetic foot.1 He is also one of the pioneers of research in lower extremity biomechanics. Cavanagh’s findings are astounding. Read More.

Assessing The Literature And Company Claims About Striking Patterns In Runners

Nicholas A Campitelli DPM FACFAS
3/21/12 | 3449 reads | 1 comments
With the interest in barefoot and minimalist running continuing to increase amongst the running community and shoe companies, we encounter another widely debated topic: should we land on our forefoot, midfoot or rearfoot?1-3 Read More.

Fighting For Subtalar Arthroereisis Insurance Coverage

Patrick DeHeer DPM FACFAS
3/15/12 | 3580 reads | 4 comments
Insurance companies are up there on my list of least favorites along with malpractice attorneys, plaintiff professional expert witnesses and foot and ankle orthopedic surgeons who initiate lawsuits against podiatrists. I have written about the latter groups already (see http://tinyurl.com/7mocb9t ). The insurance companies are next and I have a specific bone to pick with several of them including the gargantuan Anthem/Blue Cross. Read More.

Ramping Up Our Knowledge Of Pain Management

Stephen Barrett DPM FACFAS
3/13/12 | 2632 reads | 1 comments
No matter what surgical procedure or even rudimentary treatment you offer, the patient outcome is only as good as what the patient “thinks” about the result. You know what I’m talking about. You just did an incredible piece of work, the foot looks great and you’re ready to send off the X-rays for inclusion in the next edition of McGlamry’s Comprehensive Textbook of Foot Surgery. Suddenly, the air gets sucked out of your chest faster than it takes to blink and the patient says: “I don’t think it looks that good, Doctor!” Read More.

How To Develop A Wound Care Team In Your Community

Desmond Bell DPM CWS FACCWS
3/12/12 | 2953 reads | 0 comments
This month’s blog is the third in a series that deals with the development and marketing of wound care within a practice. The last two blogs focused on determining if you are truly interested in wound care and how to more effectively manage the patients you see in your practice. If you are reading this, you have hopefully reflected on how important your role is not only to your patients but also to the other providers in your community. Read More.

Podiatric Dermatology Quiz: What Is Your Diagnosis?

Tracey Vlahovic DPM
3/7/12 | 3780 reads | 5 comments
Can you identify the type of dermatitis shown in the photo at the left? The condition depicted is a chronic pruritic skin disorder often associated with a personal or family history of asthma, hay fever, allergic rhinitis and eczema. Most cases first become apparent in early childhood. An onset of the disorder after the age of 14 is uncommon. Read More.

When ‘Ingrown Toenail’ Pain May Be Caused By A Subungual Exostosis

William Fishco DPM FACFAS
3/2/12 | 5804 reads | 0 comments
Disorders of toenails easily rank in the top five most common podiatric complaints in our patient population. We see ingrown toenails every day and sometimes we get into a rut assuming that the source of all pain from the toenail is the toenail itself. Read More.

Reminding Patients About Soleus Muscle Stretching To Help Counteract Plantar Fasciitis

Jenny L Sanders DPM
2/29/12 | 3779 reads | 0 comments
An American Podiatric Medical Association (APMA) Podiatric Practice Survey of nearly 3,000 podiatrists found that plantar fasciitis/heel pain was the most commonly treated condition.1 A longtime hypothesis is that reduced ankle dorsiflexion is the most important risk factor for the development of plantar fasciitis.2 Decreased ankle dorsiflexion secondary to a tight Achilles tendon may lead to compensatory pronation of the foot, which can contribute to plantar fasciitis.3 Read More.

How Clean Are The Surgical Instruments In Your OR?

Kathleen Satterfield DPM FACFAOM
2/27/12 | 2138 reads | 0 comments
It could never happen to you, right? I was shocked to hear the NBC News investigation that revealed that there are increasing incidences of dirty surgical tools ending up in our ORs. How could this even happen? We have all seen the used tools be whisked away from our OR back tables, specked with blood, bone and other bodily detritus, only to return the next time in the triple-packed sterilization packs. How could bacteria survive the process? Read More.