Podiatrist Career Journal

Topical preparations such as cream and ointments can speed up healing process and prevent further tissue damage.There is also a vast range of equipment that is designed specifically to assist with moving and handling.- Chairs - Wheelchairs - Beds - Shower/Commode Chairs - Sliding Boards - Sliding Sheets - Low Friction Rollers - One Way Slides - Turntables - Hoists and Slings

Clubfoot is a common congenital deformity of one or both feet. Clubfoot can sometimes be identified

More and more people will need care in old age, and if they are disabled. Millions of Americans suffer from a chronic illness, or some kind of disability, and many of these people will have limits in their daily activities. Some people experience

However, this causes a financial burden. Medicare is a program which provides insurance benefits to all individuals aged sixty-five and older, including younger people with disabilities (Grabowski, 2007). Medicare covers few long-term care services and Medicaid covers the rest of the huge amount. “Policy options include capitation, pay-for-performance, and federalization, in which federal government would assume the Medicaid’s costs for the dually eligible population” (Grabowski, 2007). Medicaid and Medicare programs do not sufficiently cover acute and long-term care services, an example. After the injury the disability process takes long. There is a language barrier, institutional barrier, and ratio cost-sharing. Also, cost shifting within health care settings, and cost shifting across health care settings needs major improvements. Policy holders should expand their critical

improving quality for individuals over 65 or disabled. Preventative benefits, such as wellness visits has

Obtaining a degree in medicine is one of the lengthiest educational paths one can choose to take. Choosing to become a surgeon lengthens that journey even more and it is one of the most challenging degrees to obtain. An orthopedic surgeon is a physician that “focuses on the diagnosis, care, and treatment of patients with disorders of the bones, joints, muscles, ligaments, tendons, nerves, and skin.” (“Career in Orthopaedics”). Throughout treatment in these areas, “they use medical, physical, and rehabilitative methods as well as surgery” (“Career in Orthopaedics”). Despite being branded “surgeons” only about 50% of their everyday job description involves surgical aspects or procedures (“Career in Orthopaedics”). Dr. Brian J. Cole (“Interview with an Orthopedic Surgeon) explains that orthopedic surgeons are not only surgeons and that “[they] are physicians and health care providers that address mostly non-surgical problems…”. An orthopedic surgeon often wears many hats in the medical setting providing consultation, emergency assistance and becomes the overall supervisee of medical or surgical procedures pertaining to their areas of expertise (“Career in Orthopaedics”).

serving food or helping people eat making and changing beds turning patients who are confined to bed to avoid pressure sores

From the ward you are practicing in choose a patient with any type of equipment/device which is used to treat the patient’s orthopaedic condition. Describe its indications for use and the key function and use of this equipment.

In 2008 Malcolm Gladwell popularized the idea that it takes 10,000 hours of ‘deliberate practice’ to become a master in any field. Although more recently a Princeton study debunked this idea, stating that practice affects certain fields differently than others, the fundamental idea holds true; time is needed to master skills. I spent thousands of hours throughout high school perfecting my athletic abilities to play football which ultimately led to me to a Division 1 program. Even then, although my goals of playing professionally never came to fruition, I understand the amount of effort needed to achieve greatness. When I transitioned from athletics to medicine, not only did I know firsthand the persistence it takes, but I also know that medicine is dynamic.

The vascular assessment of a patient is an invaluable tool in the diagnosis and management of a condition. As podiatrists, it is essential to accurately assess the blood supply of the foot as even the slightest inaccuracy has the potential to become a catastrophic repercussion. Therefore, it is crucial that the vascular system is fully understood. It is also fundamental to note that, just as patients are unique, so is their anatomy. While many anatomical reference books provide a standardized anatomical positions of the arteries of the foot, it is important to recognize that variations of anatomy are a reality and must be taken into consideration during assessment.

Characteristic features include a unilateral short for date lower limb, an inability to visualize two bones in the lower leg, an associated talipes equinovalgus deformity of the affected foot, and associated syndactyly. An X-ray of the lower limb after birth can also be utilized to help diagnose patients with fibular hemimelia. Features that can be visualized on lower limb x-ray include an absence of the fibula in two separate views, shortening of the femur, and lateral ray malformations. The management of patients with fibular hemimelia is usually surgical and includes limb-lengthening procedures or limb amputation with prosthesis. The prognosis of this condition usually depends on the degree of limb deformity. Patient with a clinically nonfunctional foot or a limb length discrepancy of greater than 30% usually fare better with surgical amputation of the limb and early use of a prosthesis, whereas patients with less significant deformities usually fare well with limb lengthening procedures and conservative

     Clubfoot is defined as a congenital foot deformity characterized by a kidney shaped foot that turns inward and points down. The forefoot is curved inward, the heel is bent inward, and the ankle is fixed in planter flexion with the toes pointing down. Shortened tendons on the inside of the lower leg, together with abnormally shaped bones that restrict movement outwards cause the foot to turn inwards. A tightened achilles tendon causes the foot to point downwards. The medical term for clubfoot is talipes equinovarus . It is the most common congenital disorder of the lower extremity. There are several variations, but talipes equinovarus being the most common. Clubfeet occurs in approximately 1 in

Malawi is a very impecunious country. At the time of this research it had a population of twelve million people. Unfortunately, Malawi only has very few orthopedic surgeons and physiotherapists. In Malawi, an estimated one thousand one hundred twenty five babies were born with club foot. If this disease isn’t treated early, then severe consequences can occur such as deformity. To address this quandary utilizing locally available resources a task force was established.

Foot injuries are very common in athletics as well as in everyday life. It’s very debilitating to have a foot injury since we use our feet in all of our daily activities. Research published in "Medicine and Science in Sports and Exercise” indicates that the average adult takes between 5,000 to 7,000 steps a day. Some sports require the most dedicated athletes spend multiple hours a day pounding their feet on the turf or pavement. Most injuries that occur in the foot require a person to try and stay off of it or completely immobilize it. Since this is very difficult for a person to do, a large percentage of foot injuries often have a very high chance of reoccurring. The severity of some injuries that can be deceiving as well. Often times a nagging pain is ignored and eventually becomes a much bigger problem.

As the life expectancy in the United States rises, the number of elderly in the population has also expanded. These increases have led to the oldest-old (people aged 90 and older) to become the fastest growing age group in the country. The oldest-old face many unique challenges because of their age, one of which is disability. Disability in the elderly has major impact upon society 1 and will continue will be a growing burden in years to come.