Slope-adaptive prosthetic ankle-feet may enhance the quality of the user's gait in a safer, more comfortable way by raising the minimum toe clearance, according to a study published in the Journal of Prosthetics and Orthotics. After transtibial amputation, loss of the sagittal-plane slope adaptation of the ankle-foot complex can make movements unstable and overcompensatory, since most commercial prosthetic feet don't allow for automatic slope adjustments, but researchers noted that SAAF use could be appropriate for patients who have to navigate slopes regularly.

Patients treated with a physician-led, multidisciplinary coordinated care plan after lower-limb amputation may achieve a higher rate of mobility with a prosthesis, according to a study published in the Annals of Vascular Surgery. Making this care pathway part of vascular surgery practices can affect key clinical outcomes, which historically have been poor, researchers said.

As University of Mississippi students, Kylie Wright and Jenna Smith developed the Antler, a 3D-printed device made of durable plastic and paracord that lets lower-limb amputees stand independently while showering and washing the residual limb. Started as a way to help their friend, who has a prosthetic leg, their invention has led to a small business, Moose Medical, that aims to help amputees get back their independence.

Independent reviewers from the National Academies of Sciences, Engineering and Medicine said evidence suggests that there is no association with Pfizer's and Moderna's messenger RNA COVID-19 vaccines and Bell's palsy, Guillain-Barre syndrome, infertility, myocardial infarction or thrombosis with thrombocytopenia syndrome. However, they did find a causal link between the vaccines and myocarditis risk, according to the report commissioned by HHS' Health Resources and Services Administration.

A review of seven studies involving individuals with prediabetes or type 2 diabetes found that chronic exercise may be associated with reduced appetite. The findings, published in the journal Nutrients, showed aerobic endurance exercise like brisk walking done consistently for 150 minutes weekly or more was most likely to result in decreased hunger and increased satiety in participants diagnosed with diabetes, researchers wrote.

Attorney and amputee Maggie Baumer leads patient advocacy efforts at Hanger Clinic to elevate access to care for people with limb loss and limb difference in Massachusetts, including supporting the So Every BODY Can Move initiative. This Q&A explores her work over the past 10 years in targeting better insurance coverage at the state and federal levels, educating patients to be their own advocates and connecting them with resources.

Jessica Haldin, whose legs and fingers on both hands were amputated after she contracted meningococcal septicemia at 2 years old, is learning to drive in a specially modified car that could help her become more independent. "[Now] I have a joystick for steering and breaking and accelerating, and then I have a microphone for voice activation for indicators, horn, window wipers and hazard lights," Haldin said.

True, servant leadership is about giving, not taking -- but taking in a colleague's perspective before giving your own is the best gift for you both, writes Leadership Freak blogger Dan Rockwell. Silence your desire as a leader to fix things so you don't disempower colleagues, Rockwell suggests, while people skills coach Kate Nasser says that in order to connect, you must engage, inspire, manage and lead.