10/09/2013    Chuck Ross, DPM

1st Annual Richard O. Schuster Memorial Seminar

As a regular reader of PM News, I have noted many
mentions of the fine work that Dr. Armstrong is
doing, yet I still believe that the
biomechanics/orthopedics of podiatry goes
virtually unnoticed.

This past Sunday, I was fortunate to have been
invited to be included as a guest speaker at the
1st Richard O. Schuster Memorial Seminar held at
NYCPM and sponsored by a gift from Jerry Seinfeld
in his grateful appreciation to Dr. Joseph D'Amico
who was able to free him from foot pain after 30
years of other failed care.

This was a purely biomechanical day that could
easily have been a 2-day seminar. As a former
NYCPM graduate, I was extremely filled with great
joy to see the many fellows and residents who fell
under the spell of Dick Schuster's teachings and
the manner in which they have excelled and become
experts in a wide variety of podiatric
biomechanical specialty areas.

Perhaps PM could have a special issue dedicated to
the material that was presented so that others
might share in what I hope will be a resurgence of
biomechanics that MUST also be taught at the
residency level. Hearing Drs. LaPorta, Giorgini,
and D'Amico discuss the biomechanical importance
in their surgical criteria has been, and continues
to be, what all 3 year surgical trained residents
should have in their armamentarium for successful
practice.

If you would like a copy of the program, please
feel free to contact me or Audrey Negron at NYCPM
so that you might have some idea as to what was
presented. This is only the tip of the
biomechanics iceberg and should have greater
exposure.

Thanks again for the opportunity to bring issue to
a large audience.

Chuck Ross, DPM, Pittsfield, MA,
cross12@nycap.rr.com

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10/10/2013    Arthur Lukoff, DPM

1st Annual Richard O. Schuster Memorial Seminar

One of the highlights of the Seminar was the
presentation by Dr. Joseph D'Amico. D'Amico was
the treating physician for Jerry Seinfeld. He was
so instrumental in relieving the chronic foot pain
of Mr. Seinfeld, that in a show of gratitude, Mr.
Seinfeld made a sizable donation to the College
and also funded part of the Schuster Seminar.

The presentation showed the work-up by Dr. D'Amico
and how by using the F-Scan he was able to come up
with the orthotic device which worked so well for
Mr. Seinfeld.

As I sat in the audience and watched the
presentation,the thought occurred to me that I and
most people at the seminar do not own an F-Scan.
What are we to do?

With the knowledge that the biomechanical aspect
is dying in podiatry, is there some way that a
presentation at similar seminars could cover
working up a patient for podiatrists who don't own
an F-Scan.

I do not begrudge the success Dr. D'Amico has, but
we all know that unless we can have repeatable
success with orthotic treatments, we do not get to
build a successful biomechanical practice.

When we go to have our eyes examined, we do not
get philosophies and different prescriptions from
Drs. from the North, South, East, and West. In
podiatry, we get different philosophies from
different schools of thought. We have the Root,
Schuster, Dananberg, Glass, and Shavelson. What a
tower of Babel. Plus, we have the foam, plaster,
STS boot, and digital world. What a tower of
Babel.

I am seeking simplicity in my biomechanics and I
guess it does not exist. Any thoughts?

Arthur Lukoff, DPM, Ellenville, NY,
footdoc45@hotmail.com