The production for this month’s issue comes on the heels of the 2024 Paralympics, which was the impetus for its theme of Keeping Patients Active. For some O&P patients, pursuing athletics is certainly their aim. But for many, the goals are less lofty but no less important—taking their dogs for a walk, attending events with their families, going to dinner with friends—all part of keeping active. So in addition to recapping the performances of a few Paralympic athletes, in this issue we bring you insights into strategies to improve patient compliance for better outcomes and keeping knee osteoarthritis patients moving with conservative orthotic interventions.
This year’s Paralympic Games drew more media attention and the widest viewing audience ever. It was the first to offer live coverage of all 22 sports and an estimated viewership surpassing the cumulative total of 4.1 billion who tuned into the previous two. While space does not permit us to celebrate the accomplishments of all the athletes, or even all the athletes with limb loss, we share some of their stories and triumphs in “Highlights From the 2024 Paralympics.”
One of the challenges in helping O&P patients achieve their goals is their compliance with device use and wear times. Every clinician has his or her own approach for communicating information and motivating patients, but beyond this, there are some specific types of interventions that can improve patients’ active participation and adherence in their rehabilitation. “The Effectiveness of Motivational Interviewing” and the Academy Society Spotlight, “Self-determination Theory–based Interventions and Patient Adherence,” explore two techniques and their application to O&P.
Finally, knee osteoarthritis (OA) is a common condition causing pain and mobility challenges. Conservative management often involves an unloader brace to reduce weight and pressure on the affected knee compartment. Part one of “Beyond Unloaders: Delaying Knee OA Progression” discusses the various aspects of OA progression and new developments in the approach to unloader bracing.
I hope you enjoy these articles dedicated to helping your patients do whatever keeping active means to them.
Happy reading.
Andrea Spridgen
