Happenings

Canadian Researchers Develop Rehabilitation Self-Management Tool

A team of researchers from the University of British Columbia and Vancouver Coastal Research Institute have developed an online self-management program for individuals with lower-limb loss. Called the SelfManagement for Amputee Rehabilitation Using Technology (SMART) program, the tool provides education and supportive skills to manage health-related physical and psychological challenges.

The SMART program comprises four stakeholder-informed modules, with 18 total sections. The content includes information on limb care, diet, fatigue, and energy, among other topics.

The research team tested the program on a cohort of adults with lower-limb loss. Participants reviewed the modules during an online video conference session with an assessor. They were asked to complete 11 tasks, including entering the SMART program, setting goals, finding skin care, and reading the content of 10 sections. When participants were interviewed about their experiences, they generally found the program to be straightforward, easy to navigate, and accessible, but they noted some challenges with navigation, presentation, and language. The researchers are currently in the process of redesigning the program to address the usability issues, and plan to further explore the perceived usefulness of SMART. Details were published in June in Prosthetics and Orthotics International.

O&P CYBERSECURITY

Healthcare Data Breaches On the Rise

Between Jan. 1 and May 31, 2022, the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services listed

244 electronic data breaches of healthcare organizations with at least

500 victims on its site. The figure for that same time period in 2021 was 137.

Visual Inputs Impact Balance Control Deficits Among Individuals With Transtibial Amputation

Individuals with transtibial amputation present a greater reliance on the intact lower limb, according to a team of researchers from Laval University and the Centre for Interdisciplinary Research in Rehabilitation and Social Integration in Canada.

The researchers conducted a biomechanical assessment of subjects with below-knee amputation during 30-second quiet standing tasks with their eyes open, and again with eyes closed. They calculated mean trunk, hip, knee, and ankle angles, as well of center-of-pressure and center-of-mass excursions.

The research team concluded that transtibial patients demonstrate greater ankle plantarflexion and anteroposterior and mediolateral center-of-pressure excursions for intact limbs compared with amputated limbs during quiet standing tasks. When subjects’ eyes were closed, both the amputee group and the control group exhibited greater mediolateral center-of-pressure excursions compared with eyes open, which suggests less postural stability, according to the researchers. “These differences may place them at greater risk of falling,” they noted. The study was published in April in Prosthetics and Orthotics International.

COMORBIDITY CONCERNS

Individuals With Diabetes and Lower-Limb Loss at Greater Risk for Osteoarthritis

Limb loss patients could be at a higher risk of developing lower-limb osteoarthritis, compared to individuals without limb loss, according to researchers at University of North Texas Health Science Center.

The researchers sought to investigate the high co-occurrence of type II diabetes with lower-limb amputations. They measured hip and knee joint space, as indicators of osteoarthritis, in four groups: lower-limb amputees with diabetes; lower-limb amputees without diabetes; diabetic controls; and healthy controls. Individuals with limb loss showed significantly narrower hip and knee joint space bilaterally compared to diabetic and healthy controls, putting them at greater risk for developing the degenerative joint disease. Patients with osteoarthritis may experience pain, limited mobility, and decreased quality of life.

The findings also suggest that “amputees with diabetes are at increased risk of developing osteoarthritis compared to amputees without diabetes,” according to the researchers. They suggested that “perhaps the aggressive management of blood glucose and postamputation physiotherapy treatments could help reduce joint deterioration in these patients.” The full study was published in May in The FASEB Journal.

ASSEMBLY UPDATE

San Antonio, By the Numbers

Participants at the 2022 National Assembly can expect an impactful experience, filled with educational content, exhibits, networking opportunities, and more:

152+ 1,500+ 32+ 100+

Featured Speakers Attendees Hours of Content Exhibitors

MEDICARE MATTERS

Sequestration Reduction Ends%

The partial 1% sequestration reduction applied to final Medicare payment amounts officially ended June 30.

As of July 1, 2022, the full sequestration

amount of 2% will be applied to final Medicare payment amounts.

SOURCE: AOPA

INSURANCE INSIGHTS

More Children Covered Via ACA Marketplace

New data from CMS shows 1.3 million children were enrolled in marketplace plans during the 2022 Marketplace Open Enrollment Period, either through Healthcare.gov or their state’s marketplace.

This represents a 29 percent increase compared to 2021 child enrollment levels.

SEEKING PARTICIPANTS

Volunteers Needed for Survey on Upper-Limb loss

Researchers from Johns Hopkins Medicine are asking that adults with upper-limb amputation consider participating in a 10-minute questionnaire. The survey is part of an IRB-approved study, led by Jeremy D. Brown, PhD, and Marlis Gonzalez-Fernandez, MD, PhD, which seeks to better understand the experience of individuals with upper-extremity limb loss, including their perceptions about their prostheses and noninvasive sensory feedback provided by such devices.

Participants will have a chance to win one of several $25 gift cards. Interested parties are asked to visit the QR code below.

O&P ATHLETICS

FIRST Clinics Make a Comeback

OPAF and the FIRST Clinics held its first events back since the pandemic, holding both golf and swimming clinics in Albany, Georgia.

Several individuals with limb loss enjoyed the First Swing golf event at River Point Golf Club, which was hosted by the organization’s clinical sponsor, Amputee Prosthetic Clinic. First Swing is brought to participants by The National Amputee Golf Association, and the instructor, David Windsor, was provided through the Georgia State Golf Association.

Participants in the First Swim event enjoyed learning tips for water activities. First Swim was hosted by Life Unlimbited Inc., a nonprofit support group that also hosts adaptive recreation days, and instructed by Mabio Costa.

Ottobock provided lunch for the clinics.

Board of Certification/Accreditation

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