On page 20 of the new Tamarack Flexure Joint Product Guide (2^nd edition – August 2011), you’ll find a great selection of button head and truss head screws and brass flange nuts that are compatible with Tamarack Flexure Joint products. Depending on the thickness of your joint cavity, a variety of screw and flange nut sizes will ensure that the joint is firmly secured to the brace.

Click the following link to view or download a copy of the Tamarack Flexure Joint Product Guide

If you prefer to receive this helpful fabrication resource in print, Email Us with your mailing address and we’ll gladly send you a copy.

Tamarack Flexure Joints and hardware are available from Becker Orthopedic (Troy, MI) and other O&P product suppliers, worldwide.

Purchasing Information:

(Tamarack Flexure Joints sold separately)

More information available at http://www.tamarackhti.com/joints/caps.asp

To purchase, contact Becker Orthopedic: (248) 588-7480 telephone (800) 521-2192 toll-free

Or, for a list of distributors, worldwide, visit http://www.beckerorthopedic.com/distrib.htm

Tamarack Flexure Joint Caps are manufactured in the USA by Tamarack Habilitation Technologies, Inc.

George Garcia, CTO with Arizona AFO recently shared a few examples of braces he fabricated using the externally mounted Tamarack Flexure Joint Caps. Not only do the caps save fabrication time, but they conform well to most custom and pre-fabricated AFOs, and provide superior cavity strength and device stability.

For more information about Tamarack Flexure Joint Caps, visit http://www.tamarackhti.com/joints/caps.asp

Websites:

Foundation for SCI Prevention, Care & Cure – http://fscip.org/organization.htm

SCI-Info-Pages – www.sci-inf-pages.com

SCI Guide – www.bu.edu/sciguide

Mobility magazines:

Ability Magazine – www.abilitymagazine.com

Life in Action Magazine – www.spinalcord.org/life-in-action

New Mobility – www.newobility.com

Sports ‘N Spokes Magazine – www.sportsnspokes.com

How do you find out about new products and technologies that will potentially help you to enjoy a more comfortable and healthy life? If you know of any valuable spinal cord injury or mobility resources that we should add to our list, please add a comment to this posting.

Delzell reported findings from earlier studies, suggesting that rocker soles reduce pressure under the forefoot, and specifically under the metatarsal heads, by 30-50%, although it is unknown what amount of pressure reduction in footwear is necessary to truly help heal and ultimately prevent foot ulcers.

Not discussed in the article, is the role of shear forces in the genesis of skin trauma. Increasingly, shear is being discussed at healthcare conferences, and through special interest groups, such as the National Pressure Ulcer Advisory Panel (NPUAP). The shortcoming of shear, at the present time, is the inability to accurately measure shear forces underneath the foot. Still, the prevention and treatment of foot ulcers should include consideration of shear stresses, particularly under bony prominences where shear can be especially damaging.

Complementary to rocker shoes, total contact casts, and other pressure offloading devices, friction and shear interface materials, including ShearBan, provide additional margin of safety from skin breakdown. When applied directly to footwear or orthopedic devices, opposite a troublesome hot spot, blister or foot ulcer, ShearBan has proven effective at helping to heal existing skin trauma, while preventing future occurrences.

Continue reading, The role of rocker soles in reducing ulcer risk.

The most exciting change that recently took place is that ShearBan Rivet Cover Patches are now packaged in 138 piece packs, instead of 120. The 15% increase in patches comes to you at no additional charge. Rivet cover patches are ideal for covering hardware on AFOs and upper extremity devices. They provide a clean, cosmetically appealing finish to any thermoplastic or carbon fiber device. Rivet Cover Patches are manufactured with latex-free, low-friction material that eliminates abrasion/rubbing and friction, and easily apply to nearly any material with the self-adhesive backing.

For more information about ShearBan, visit www.shearban.com.

The authors indicated that heel height had a greater influence on peak shear than peak pressure. In fact, shear forces were reported to be about five times greater than that of peak pressure. Continue reading, “Shear associated with heel height could increase shoe-related risks“.

Shear forces, when left unmanaged for a prolonged period of time, can not only contribute to hallux deformity and other foot injuries, but skin trauma as well. ENGO Blister Prevention Patches have been shown to be extremely effective at relieving and preventing hot spots, blisters, and calluses. Although most commonly used by endurance and team sports athletes, the product is equally effective for dress shoes, high heels, and comfort footwear.

As shown in the picture above, the lower photograph shows the dampener pad cavity prior to securing the leather sound dampener. The middle photograph shows the newly-redesigned Tamarack Clevisphere Joint after installing the leather sound dampener pad. Finally, the top picture shows the original Clevisphere Joint, with the leather pad secured to the top of the joint casting.

By recessing the dampener pad into the joint casting, the leather pad is no longer able to slide out of place during use, resulting in longer-lasting sound reduction, which we expect will lead to improved patient and practitioner acceptance of this unique ankle joint option.

Prior to the latest Clevisphere Joint enhancement, just last year, Tamarack incorporated a larger adjustable screw into the joint casting, which is used control the desired level of plantar flexion. This enhancement is evident in the image above (note the obvious difference in the size of the screw between the lower two images and the top image).

For more information about the Tamarack Clevisphere Joint, visit http://www.tamarackhti.com/joints/clevisphere.asp. Be sure to check out the recently developed Clevisphere Joint Fabrication Guide, a step-by-step installation manual, complete with helpful tips & techniques.

We recently learned of an incredible local organization, the Wiggle Your Toes Foundation, which is dedicated to helping amputees and their families regain independence and mobility after limb-loss. Founder, Aaron Holm of Minnesota, is a bi-lateral, above-the-knee amputee, who has a passion for helping others navigate through the steps necessary to recover quickly in order to pursue the personal and employment activities they previously enjoyed.

Wiggle Your Toes 3^rd Annual Charity Golf and Dinner Event

On Monday, August 22^nd, 2011, Wiggle Your Toes will hold their 3^rd annual golf and dinner event at the Minnesota Valley Country Club in Bloomington, MN. If you’re interested in attending, sponsoring or making a donation to the Wiggle Your Toes Foundation, here is the golf registration flyer.

For more information about the Wiggle Your Toes Foundation, visit www.wiggleyourtoes.org.

“We are regular long distance walkers and walk on average around 1500 miles each year. We have both been plagued by blisters in the past despite wearing comfortable well fitting boots. Any walk in excess of 15-20 miles usually resulted in blisters, either on the heel, ball of the foot or base of the toes.

None of the traditional cures/remedies have ever worked for us, so in desperation we looked on the internet for a solution and found your website. Your theory that if you reduce the friction you eliminate the blisters seemed reasonable. So, based on the assumption that prevention is better than cure, we purchased a trial pack of blister patches and have been absolutely delighted with the results.

No more blisters at all, however many miles we walk or however bad the terrain. They are fantastic and really do work. They stick well and the first ones we used have now lasted over 300 miles and still show no real signs of wear. Now we never leave home without them and would highly recommend them to other walkers and hikers. We are looking forward to a blister-free completion of the Pennine Way this summer.”

Thank you, Tony & Lin, for sharing your ENGO Blister Prevention Patch story with us!

If you’ve tried our ENGO Blister Prevention Patches and have questions, concerns or a testimonial that you’re willing to share, please add a comment to this post or email us. We’re delighted by all of the positive support we receive from our first and long-time customers and appreciate your business!

Are you ready to become blister-free? Order a pack of ENGO Blister Prevention Patches to discover what athletic, dress and casual footwear feel like without the discomfort of blisters.