DPM Blogs

Key Insights On Managing Pediatric Fractures With Ex-Fix

Ron Raducanu DPM FACFAS

4/19/10 | 2286 reads | 0 comments

In my blog last month, I began a discussion on the use of external fixation in podopediatric surgery (see www.podiatrytoday.com/blogged/can-external-fixation-have-an-impact-for-p... ). Probably the least complex use of external fixation in the pediatric population is for fracture management. Read More.

Emphasizing The Urgent Necessity Of Collaboration Between Podiatrists And Vascular Surgeons

Kathleen Satterfield DPM FACFAOM

4/9/10 | 2646 reads | 1 comments

I recently attended the American Podiatric Medical Association (APMA) House of Delegates in Washington, D.C. Sitting in the audience of about 1,000 people, I listened to the speeches of one guest of honor after another from other medical professions. The usual lines went something like this: “So glad to be invited to address your organization … we have so much in common … yadda yadda yadda.” Read More.

Can You Select A Bunion Procedure Based Solely On Clinical Evaluation?

Molly Judge DPM FACFAS

4/7/10 | 4100 reads | 10 comments

I was talking with some colleagues of mine recently and we were reviewing bunion surgery, the most common of the elective procedures that we perform. During this conversation, one more experienced colleague said he really does not even need X-rays as he can tell from the clinical evaluation what procedure is going to work out best for the patient. At this point in his career, he feels that getting X-rays is now simply an issue of medicolegal documentation rather than a tool for measuring angles and procedure selection. Most of the others at the table seemed to agree with his philosophy. Read More.

Why Measuring Heel-To-Ball Matters In Shoe Fit

Jenny L Sanders DPM

4/6/10 | 4803 reads | 0 comments

Almost everyone who comes into my office gets his or her foot measured. Why? Wearing the wrong size shoe can cause foot pain and the majority of patients I treat cannot remember the last time they had their foot professionally measured. Read More.

Are We Compelled To Treat Warts?

Bryan Markinson DPM FASPD

3/31/10 | 4541 reads | 7 comments

Every practicing DPM understands the enigmatic and unpredictable nature of warts and wart treatment. Frustration is not uncommon on the part of patients and clinicians. As time goes on, we try more and more treatments, and those treatments join the ever-growing pile of “mediocre” treatments. It can be puzzling when one treatment we use clears one patient in a few weeks yet has no effect on another patient. In discussions with colleagues, it is also not uncommon to hear claims of favorite treatments that work “most of the time.” Read More.

What To Do When A Difficult Patient Walks Through Your Door

William Fishco DPM FACFAS

3/30/10 | 2925 reads | 0 comments

In this blog, I want to share with you strategies to help you better understand and treat the patient that you may deem “difficult.” So what do I mean by difficult? I am not referring to a difficult diagnosis but rather a difficult emotional status of the patient. One of my mentors, John Ruch, DPM, describes this patient as the “delicate flower.” Read More.

Understanding The Relationship Of Clubtoe To Clubfoot

Neal Blitz DPM FACFAS

3/30/10 | 2925 reads | 0 comments

Clubtoe is a term that I use to describe the big toe equinus deformity that one encounters with adolescent and adult clubfoot. It is a condition of “significant” hallux plantarflexion due to a severely rigid elevated first ray. In milder cases, the hallux will plantarflex at the metatarsophalangeal joint (MPJ) and mildly extend at the hallux interphalangeal joint (IPJ). Read More.

Are We Born To Run Barefoot?

Doug Richie Jr. DPM FACFAS

3/30/10 | 4148 reads | 0 comments

I just finished reading Christopher McDougall’s book Born to Run (Alfred A. Knopf, New York, 2009), which one of my patients actually mailed to me as a gift. This best-selling book is a fascinating read and highly recommended for all podiatric physicians. Why? This book has proposed many challenges to current podiatric theories about normal and abnormal foot function. Some of these challenges have merit and some lack scientific foundation. Read More.

Why Locking Plates Will Make Your Surgical Life Easier

Patrick DeHeer DPM FACFAS

3/24/10 | 3698 reads | 2 comments

I was having a conversation with my orthopedic surgeon friend, James Friedlander, MD, and he made a comment that really caught my attention. He said locking plates were the most significant advancement in orthopedic surgery in the last 25 years. Read More.