Crutches News and Research

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Census Bureau releases report on disability status in the U.S.

About 56.7 million people ─ 19 percent of the population ─ had a disability in 2010, according to a broad definition of disability, with more than half of them reporting the disability was severe, according to a comprehensive report on this population released today by the U.S. Census Bureau.

26 Jul 2012

UCSF's ACT program helps amputees reach their athletic goals

Carlos Gonzalez stands out from an athletic group gathered on a grassy field at the UCSF Mission Bay campus. The gregarious 32-year-old sports a stylish fauxhawk and walks with a confident yet understated swagger. He's training to become a mixed martial arts (MMA) fighter.

6 Jun 2012

WSU introduces web-based decision support system to select wheeled mobility devices

A Wayne State University researcher has introduced computer technology that makes it easier for people who need wheelchairs to select one that best suits their needs.

25 May 2012

Women more likely to have different set of sports injuries than men

With the predominance of male athletes featured on television and covered in the media year-round, most Americans are familiar with some of the most common injuries sustained by men in various sports. As the 2012 Summer Games approaches, female athletes will have additional opportunities to be featured, but are their potential injury risks the same as their male counterparts?

15 May 2012

Minimally-invasive spinal surgery helps Motocross rider return to racing

Since he was a young five years old, New Jersey resident Demetrius Economou has been tearing through the woods on a Motocross bike. A long-time family passion, Demetrius learned to ride when he was just 5 years old and riding quickly consumed his life and became a constant thought on his mind. While many children were playing team sports like baseball or soccer, Demetrius was learning how to modify his 70cc bike to keep up with the bigger bikes.

26 Apr 2012

World's tallest living man stops growing at 8ft 3 inches

Sultan Kosen has been named the world's tallest living man by Guinness World Records for three consecutive years. In the last three months, the 29-year-old Turkish man has only recently stopped growing thanks to receiving treatment in the U.S.

14 Mar 2012

Angioplasty improves quality of life in MS patients

Although using angioplasty to treat multiple sclerosis (MS) is highly controversial, sufferers often insist it helps - in some cases dramatically, such as allowing them to walk without a cane. Patients with less severe MS also reported additional quality of life improvements, such as being able to talk more clearly, after having treatment to open blocked blood vessels in the chest and neck, according to research being presented at the 24th annual International Symposium on Endovascular Therapy.

17 Jan 2012

Do not overlook people with disabilities in HIV prevention efforts

Winstone Zulu, an adviser for AIDS-Free World and the coordinator of Health Triangle Zambia who walks with crutches because of a polio infection as a child, writes in a New York Times opinion piece that people with disabilities are rarely exposed to sex education and are almost never considered in need of information about H.I.V. and treatment for it.

21 Jun 2011

Scientists to develop 'eTraining' system for doctors and healthcare providers

Many people use fitness studios to get back into shape after an injury. Fraunhofer researchers are now developing a system that will provide doctors with data on the exercises people do on the various machines. This should help them plan better training programs.

11 May 2011

Women more likely to leave substance abuse treatment center after new tobacco-free policy

When a new tobacco-free policy was instituted at an Ohio women's substance abuse treatment center, both smokers and non-smokers were more likely to leave treatment early in the first few months after the policy change, a new study found.

7 May 2011

Study: Stem cell transplant may benefit patients with rapidly progressive MS

A long term study reports about the effectiveness of replacing bone marrow, purposely destroyed by chemotherapy, with autologous stem cell rescue for people with aggressive forms of multiple sclerosis.

22 Mar 2011

State roundup: Fla. seeks MLR waiver; hospitals struggle

Alabama's Robert Bentley is one of two current governors to have "doctor" on his résumé. In an interview with Stateline last week, Bentley elaborated on his health care agenda. His plan emphasizes individual health savings accounts, which he says will lower costs by letting patients decide how they want to spend their health care dollars. He wants to give state tax breaks to businesses that purchase insurance for their employees and state-based incentives to attract more insurance carriers.

16 Mar 2011

Surgical procedure to repair spina bifida while still in the uterus may help the baby walk after birth

More than two thousand physicians, some of the top obstetric/gynecologists in the world who specialize in maternal-fetal medicine, especially high risk pregnancies, gathered today for their annual meeting in San Francisco to begin four days of intensive research presentations. Presentations each year at the Society for Maternal-Fetal Medicine's (SMFM) annual meeting, The Pregnancy Meeting -, represent major findings in reducing high-risk pregnancies and complications.

11 Feb 2011

New study: Fetal surgery for spina bifida greatly improves child's mobility

Performing delicate surgery in the womb, months before birth, can substantially improve outcomes for children with a common, disabling birth defect of the spine. Experts at The Children's Hospital of Philadelphia co-led a new landmark study showing that fetal surgery for spina bifida greatly reduces the need to divert fluid from the brain, improves mobility and improves the chances that a child will be able to walk independently.

9 Feb 2011

CDC: One quarter of all ED visits during winter are due to snowboarding, sledding accidents

Broken bones due to snowboarding and sledding top the list of common causes for visits to the Emergency Department during the winter months. According to the Centers for Disease Control one quarter of all ED visits are attributed to snowboarding accidents,, and half of all cases were broken bones and sprains.

5 Feb 2011

U.N. has 'largely' met its goals in Haiti since the quake, official says

The U.N. has mostly achieved its short-term goals since a major earthquake struck Haiti on January 12, 2010, Nigel Fisher, the U.N. humanitarian coordinator for Haiti, said during a video teleconference on Monday, Deutsche Presse-Agentur/M&C reports.

12 Jan 2011

$Herbal pain medication gets fractured runner back running again$

Herbal pain medication gets fractured runner back running again

Debilitating injuries can impact quality of life long after the injury has occurred and healed, producing long-term pain and limited mobility. Individuals recuperating from a surgery or other procedure may want explore different options to getting back on their feet after an injury.

23 Dec 2010

Gym injury prevention advice for the New Year

The American Orthopaedic Foot & Ankle Society (AOFAS) has a message for previously sedentary Americans who will head to the gym this New Year: take it slow. Stress fractures are the most common overuse injuries of the foot and ankle. They occur with a rapid increase in physical activity (too much too quickly). Stress fractures result from a series of loading and unloading cycles that cause damage to the bone. If these forces continue and the bone is not able to repair itself fast enough, a fracture may occur.

21 Dec 2010

Cardiovascular Innovation Institute awarded NIH grant to develop implantable pump for single ventricle heart disease

Researchers in the Cardiovascular Innovation Institute, a partnership between the University of Louisville and Jewish Hospital, in collaboration with researchers at Indiana University and Purdue University, have received a $2,027,059 grant from the National Institutes of Health to further develop an implantable pump that could dramatically improve the lives of patients with single ventricle heart disease.

23 Sep 2010

Usage of rapid response teams mask systemic problems in hospitals' care for sickest patients

The growing use of rapid response teams dispatched by hospitals to evaluate patients whose conditions have suddenly deteriorated may be masking systemic problems in how hospitals care for their sickest patients, says a prominent Johns Hopkins patient safety expert.

22 Sep 2010