Donor Limb Functional Restoration via a Novel Clinical Care Pathway following Fibula Free Flap Harvest for Head and Neck Reconstruction.

Patients undergoing head and neck skeletal reconstruction (HNR) often require free tissue transfer from the extremities to ensure proper restoration of form and function. This requires a team-based, highly reliable medical system centered around the patient needs. Surgical intervention across multiple sites and harvesting of donor tissue results in short- and long-term physical impairments.

Running footstrike pattern effect on lower extremity work in an individual with transtibial amputation.

Asymmetrical loading favoring the intact limb during running has been associated with increased prevalence of reported knee pain and potential risk factors of knee osteoarthritis in that limb for patients with amputation. Footstrike pattern alterations have been suggested to help alleviate some overloading of the knee, but little is known about how it affects the rest of the limb. The purpose of this case study was to evaluate the effect of footstrike pattern on the distribution of loading throughout the lower extremities during submaximal running of an individual with transtibial amputation (TTA).

Common fall-risk indicators are not associated with fall prevalence in a high-functioning military population with lower limb trauma.

Background: Persons with lower limb trauma are at high risk for falls. Although there is a wide range of measures used to assess stability and fall-risk that include performance measures, temporal-spatial gait parameters, and nonlinear dynamic stability calculations, these measures are typically derived from fall-prone populations, such as older adults. Thus, it is unclear if these commonly used fall-risk indicators are effective at evaluating fall-risk in a younger, higher-functioning population of Service members with lower limb trauma.

Military Service Members with Major Lower Extremity Fractures Return to Running with a Passive-dynamic Ankle-foot Orthosis: Comparison with a Normative Population.

Background: Lower extremity fractures represent a high percentage of reported injuries in the United States military and can devastate a service member's career. A passive dynamic ankle-foot orthosis (PD-AFO) with a specialized rehabilitation program was initially designed to treat military service members after complex battlefield lower extremity injuries, returning a select group of motivated individuals back to running. For high-demand users of the PD-AFO, the spatiotemporal gait parameters, agility, and quality of life is not fully understood with respect to uninjured runners.

Assessments of trunk postural control within a fall-prevention training program for service members with lower limb trauma and loss.

Background: Trunk postural control (TPC) is critical in maintaining balance following perturbations (i.e., avoiding falls), and impaired among persons with lower extremity trauma, contributing to elevated fall risk.

Limb Salvage With Intrepid Dynamic Exoskeletal Orthosis Versus Transtibial Amputation: A Comparison of Functional Gait Outcomes.

Objectives: To determine if there is a difference in functional gait outcomes between patients with limb injuries treated with either transtibial amputation or limb preservation with the Intrepid Dynamic Exoskeletal Orthosis.

Design: Retrospective prognostic study.

Setting: Tertiary referral military hospital.