The Lower Limb Report

Which needle for which heel

What football boot design and sprint style do to lower-limb injury risk

Studs, sole-plate stiffness and collar height all shift where the load goes. And in seven seasons of professional rugby, how a player accelerates predicted whether they tore a hamstring or a calf.

Which treatment actually works for stubborn plantar fasciitis?

A 63-trial network meta-analysis ranks the injections and shockwave against each other, a second review puts radial shockwave up against the other machines, and an MRI study says the heel is not the only thing to look at.

Chronic ankle instability: which exercise actually fixes which deficit

A 58-trial review maps each modality to the sensorimotor deficits it improves. Balance training is the backbone, and two deficits still have no answer.

What hip strengthening does for chronic ankle instability

A review of nine trials found clear gains in dynamic balance and ankle function, with static balance less consistent.

What the antigravity treadmill added after knee and tibia fractures

A multicentre trial found no overall functional edge, a borderline signal for distal tibia fractures, and happier patients.