05/06/2013    Brian W. Fullem, DPM

Laker Basketball Star's Injury May Have Been Preventable: TX Podiatrist (Doug Richie, DPM)

In reading the entire Wall Street Journal
article, it is important to note that Dr. Davis
was not misquoted. The article was taken directly
from an email that Dr. Davis sent to his
patients. I would not even constitute what the
WSJ published as journalism. The email appears to
be a way to promote Dr. Davis' practice to get
more patients in the door to utilize all his
technology. I do not fault Dr. Davis for sending
out the emails to his patients, it is good
practice management.

However, I agree with Dr. Richie completely and
there is no level 1 evidence that a tight
Achilles has anything to do with a rupture.

Perhaps Dr. Davis could expound on his
statement "I guess if one does not accept the
basic tenants of podiatric biomechanics, then it
is okay to make this statement." I know the
literature including the review type article that
Dr. Davis cites from Clinics in Podiatric
Medicine and Surgery clearly shows that there is
degeneration of the tendon when you have Achilles
tendonosis and this is more likely to lead to a
rupture.

If a "tight Achilles" and "podiatric
biomechanics" dictates that stretching prevents
Achilles injuries then why does Dr. Davis later
in his missive discuss ESWT? I would also assume
that Dr. Davis does not have his patients perform
eccentric strengthening which has been proven in
many studies to work.

Speaking for myself, when I read the WSJ online
article and what was published in PM News the
take home point I gathered from Dr. Davis' quotes
was that Kobe Bryant's Achilles injury could have
been prevented by stretching. Nothing could be
further from the truth.

Brian W. Fullem, DPM, Tampa, FL, bfullem1@aol.com

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