Military personnel return to duty following severe injury to lower extremity

Return to Run orthotic rehab initiative successfully returns

2013-03-19

(Press-News.org) CHICAGO – High-energy lower-extremity trauma (HELET) is common in modern warfare, often resulting in severe tissue damage, chronic pain, neurovascular injury and significant muscle loss, according to the new research presented today at the 2013 Annual Meeting of the American Academy of Orthopaedic Surgeons (AAOS).

The Return to Run (RTR) program is an integrated orthotic and rehabilitation initiative designed to return high-level function to wounded warriors. It includes use of the new Intrepid Dynamic Exoskeletal Orthosis (IDEO), a custom-fit device made from carbon and fiberglass that supports the foot and ankle allowing for greater mobility and vigorous rehabilitation.

In the study, researchers reviewed RTR records of 14 Special Operations Command (SOCOM) personnel – 10 Army Special Forces, three Navy Sea Air Land (SEALs), and one Air Force Pararescue Jumper (PJ) – who sustained HELET injuries and completed the RTR program. Records were reviewed for functional capabilities – the ability to walk, run and jump without assistive devices; and occupational capabilities – standing continuously for more than one hour, moving with a load of 20 pounds or more, and the ability to return to duty and combat. Recreational capabilities include running and agility sport participation.

Following RTR, 13 of the 14 service members (including three who had initially considered amputation) were deemed fit to return to duty, and at least seven returned to combat.

### Read more about AAOS: http://www.aaos.org

Follow us on Facebook.com/AAOS1 and Twitter.com/AAOS1

A Nation in Motion More than one in four Americans have bone or joint health problems, making them the greatest cause of lost work days in the U.S. When orthopaedic surgeons restore mobility and reduce pain, they help people get back to work and to independent, productive lives. Orthopaedic surgeons provide a great value, in both human and economic terms; and access to high-quality orthopaedic care keeps this "Nation in Motion." To learn more, to read hundreds of patient stories or to submit your own story, visit ANationinMotion.org.

For more information on bone and joint health, visit Orthoinfo.org.

ELSE PRESS RELEASES FROM THIS DATE:

Depression in Alzheimer's patients associated with declining ability to handle daily activities

2013-03-19

New York, NY (March 18, 2013)—More symptoms of depression and lower cognitive status are independently associated with a more rapid decline in the ability to handle tasks of everyday living, according to a study by Columbia University Medical Center researchers in this month's Journal of Alzheimer's Disease. Although these findings are observational, they could suggest that providing mental health treatment for people with Alzheimer's disease might slow the loss of independence, said senior author Yaakov Stern, PhD, professor of neuropsychology (in neurology, psychiatry, ...

Origins of human teamwork found in chimpanzees

2013-03-19

Teamwork has been fundamental in humanity's greatest achievements but scientists have found that working together has its evolutionary roots in our nearest primate relatives – chimpanzees. A series of trials by scientists found that chimpanzees not only coordinate actions with each other but also understand the need to help a partner perform their role to achieve a common goal. Pairs of chimpanzees were given tools to get grapes out of a box. They had to work together with a tool each to get the food out. Scientists found that the chimpanzees would solve the problem ...

Laser-like photons signal major step towards quantum 'Internet'

2013-03-19

The realisation of quantum networks is one of the major challenges of modern physics. Now, new research shows how high-quality photons can be generated from 'solid-state' chips, bringing us closer to the quantum 'internet'. The number of transistors on a microprocessor continues to double every two years, amazingly holding firm to a prediction by Intel co-founder Gordon Moore almost 50 years ago. If this is to continue, conceptual and technical advances harnessing the power of quantum mechanics in microchips will need to be investigated within the next decade. Developing ...

Tenfold boost in ability to pinpoint proteins in cancer cells

2013-03-19

Better diagnosis and treatment of cancer could hinge on the ability to better understand a single cell at its molecular level. New research offers a more comprehensive way of analyzing one cell's unique behavior, using an array of colors to show patterns that could indicate why a cell will or won't become cancerous. A University of Washington team has developed a new method for color-coding cells that allows them to illuminate 100 biomarkers, a ten-time increase from the current research standard, to help analyze individual cells from cultures or tissue biopsies. The ...

How proteins read meta DNA code

2013-03-19

Three-quarters of the DNA in evolved organisms is wrapped around proteins, forming the basic unit of DNA packaging called nucleosomes, like a thread around a spool. The problem lies in understanding how DNA can then be read by such proteins. Now, Arman Fathizadeh, a physicist at Sharif University of Technology in Tehran, Iran, and colleagues have created a model showing how proteins move along DNA, in a paper just published in EPJ E. The problem is that until now, we did not clearly understand the physical mechanisms of how to "open the book" to read the genetic text ...

Tiny RNA molecule may have role in polycystic ovary syndrome, insulin resistance

2013-03-19

AUGUSTA, Ga. – A group of tiny RNA molecules with a big role in regulating gene expression also appear to have a role in causing insulin resistance in woman with polycystic ovary syndrome and, perhaps, in all women, researchers report. Research in the journal Diabetes, indicates that high activity levels of a microRNA called miR-93 in fat cells impedes insulin's use of glucose, contributing to PCOS as well as insulin resistance, said Dr. Ricardo Azziz, reproductive endocrinologist and PCOS expert at the Medical College of Georgia at Georgia Regents University. "This ...

Electrical signals dictate optical properties

2013-03-19

Researchers at the University of Southampton's Optoelectronics Research Centre (ORC) have created an artificial material, a metamaterial, with optical properties that can be controlled by electric signals. Photonic metamaterials are artificial materials created by precise and extremely fine structuring of conventional media using nanotechnology. They offer numerous new applications from cloaking to radically improved solar cells. However, the properties of metamaterials are usually fixed. Dr Eric Plum, Research Lecturer at the ORC, explains: "We have found a fast ...

Military personnel return to duty following severe injury to the lower extremity

2013-03-19

CHICAGO – High-energy lower-extremity trauma (HELET) is common in modern warfare, often resulting in severe tissue damage, chronic pain, neurovascular injury and significant muscle loss, according to the new research presented today at the 2013 Annual Meeting of the American Academy of Orthopaedic Surgeons (AAOS). The Return to Run (RTR) program is an integrated orthotic and rehabilitation initiative designed to return high-level function to wounded warriors. It includes use of the new Intrepid Dynamic Exoskeletal Orthosis (IDEO), a custom-fit device made from carbon ...

Zoledronic acid does not prevent bone metastases in high-risk PCa patients

2013-03-19

Milan, 19 March 2013 - The initial study results of the Zometa European Study (ZEUS) showed no difference in the incidence of bone metastases between the Zometa group and control arm, said Prof. Manfred Wirth during the closing and fourth plenary session of the 28th Annual EAU Congress which ends today. "There is no difference in the incidence of bone metastases and there is no difference in survival," said Wirth in his brief presentation on whether Zometa can prevent bone metastases in high risk, metastatic prostate cancer patients. The ZEUS study, supported by the EAU ...

Risk management in fish: How cichlids prevent their young from being eaten

2013-03-19

The phenomenon of adoption has taxed the minds of evolutionary scientists since Darwin first came up with his account of natural selection. According to Richard Dawkins's description, adoption is "a double whammy. Not only do you reduce, or at least fail to increase, your own reproductive success, but you improve someone else's." So why are animals apparently so willing to take care of young that are not related to them? Franziska Schaedelin and colleagues at the Konrad Lorenz Institute of the University of Veterinary Medicine, Vienna now shed interesting light on the ...

ACS Central Science | Researchers from Insilico Medicine and Lilly publish foundational vision for fully autonomous “Prompt-to-Drug” pharmaceutical R&D

Increasing the number of coronary interventions in patients with acute myocardial infarction does not appear to reduce death rates

Striking genomic architecture discovered in embryonic reproductive cells before they start developing into sperm and eggs

AABNet and partners launch landmark guide on the conservation of African livestock genetic resources and sustainable breeding strategies

[Press-News.org] Military personnel return to duty following severe injury to lower extremity
Return to Run orthotic rehab initiative successfully returns

Military personnel return to duty following severe injury to lower extremity

ELSE PRESS RELEASES FROM THIS DATE:

LAST 30 PRESS RELEASES: