On diabetic foot, wound healing, amputation prevention, and the merger of consumer tech with medical devices
A new Journal of Human Evolution study suggests Neanderthal heel bones were not simply more robust—they represented a different mechanical solution for loading, mobility, pronation and force transmission. What can an ancient calcaneus teach us about modern footwear, biomechanics and limb preservation?
The Economist makes a compelling case that the most useful exoskeletons may not be full-body supersuits at all. The winners are becoming smaller, lighter and more specific—an idea that connects directly to decades of work in wearable robotics, rehabilitation, limb preservation and our own “Repair, Regeneration and Replacement” framework.
An eight-person SmartBoot–CORA study links context-aware prompts to better short-term offloading responses. Paired with Lifestyle Redesign, it points toward support that fits everyday life.
Stacey Schepens Niemiec, Tze-Woei Tan, and USC colleagues adapt Lifestyle Redesign® occupational therapy to help fit diabetic foot care into everyday life. The intervention is ready for testing; clinical effectiveness remains to be established.
An amputation should trigger more than a wound-care plan. New Swedish data sharpen the case for coordinated cardiovascular care—and a longer view of recovery.
An unexpected reunion with Dr. William Tettelbach and a generous welcome from the MLK Community Healthcare team made a September 3 visit to South Los Angeles a powerful reminder of why this work matters.
A Georgetown-centered case series asks whether partial calcanectomy after midfoot amputation can preserve both the limb and meaningful walking. The answer is encouraging, but anatomy and function are not the same outcome.
A provocative 2026 cohort moves PMMA away from the diabetic foot wound and into remote calf tunnels. The idea is genuinely interesting—but extensive decompression, major reporting problems, and an unproven mechanism make this a signal to investigate, not a treatment to adopt.
At the 2026 VASSA Congress in Gqeberha, four international keynotes, decades of friendship, and a locally led consensus process converged around one life-affirming goal: making preventable amputation less inevitable across South Africa.
In diabetic foot remission, the interval between podiatry visits may be part of the treatment. Monthly care had the lowest recurrence.
