10/04/2022    Paul Kesselman, DPM

Why is Podiatry Turning Away from Biomechanics?

For the past decade or so I have been fortunate
enough to be invited by the American Orthotics and
Prosthetics Association (AOPA) to attend their
annual meeting. It is a treasure trove of both
scientific and trade information. A few of the
same vendors you see at podiatry meetings are
here. Unfortunately, there are only a few as many
who are here tell me the attention they get at
podiatry meetings is appalling. This is because of
a lack of interest, due the very reasons Dr.
Phillips mentions in his article and what many
others have seen happen with the younger
generation of DPMs. That is a loss in interest in
biomechanics.

What stands out with AOPA meetings over the last
decade, however is the variety of innumerable in
depth research-based lectures and posters on
biomechanics. These are rare at podiatric meetings
and as Dr. Phillips noted sparsely attended. The
digital and computerized era of biomechanics is
very much on display. At AOPA these meetings are
very well attended and the technology is well
embraced. The lectures seen in a few days eclipse
the few provided at any State or Podiatric
institutional meetings, as has been often cited in
rebuttals to many of my previous letters.

There are also outcomes and predictability studies
and models reviewed. We as podiatrists are
fortunate enough to be able to both prescribe and
dispense. But if we don’t heed Dr. Phillips'
warnings and those of Dr. Shapiro and many
previous letters I and others have written, our
ability to dispense may be very much limited by
third party and government payers.

So the inevitable question is, where has podiatry
lost its way? Perhaps on our quest to become “real
doctors” we actually lost a very important part of
our identity. Can we get back where we should be
or is it too late? If we don’t take action now
perhaps it will be taken for us! I’m hoping it is
not!

Paul Kesselman, DPM, Oceanside, NY

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