RE: Educating the Medical and Lay Communities About Biomechanics
From: Jeffrey Trantalis, DPM
After practicing for 43 year and having a busy sports medicine practice in Federal Way, WA as well as later on working for a back surgeon in Florida, I learned that the importance of biomechanics is not just the foot and ankle, but includes the lower back. At the University of Washington, I got to experience the complete patient not just the foot and ankles. The difficulty is getting these patients to walk into a podiatry office.
Also, how do you teach back surgeons in medical school not to do surgery on the lower back. After all, that is what they are taught.
For example, limb-length difference with or without pelvic rotation can be acquired as one becomes older. I tried talking to a few medical schools about this and received no interest. Biomechanics can provide a window into many functional pathologies to the lower extremities. The challenge is how to educate the public to see a podiatrist knowledgeable in biomechanics.
Jeffrey Trantalis, DPM, Delray Beach, FL
