March 2023
Applied Translational Research in Foot and Ankle Surgery
Donald D. Anderson, PhD, Editor
Present-day Orthopedic Foot and Ankle clinical practice is built upon over a century of research, much of that research involving anatomic and cadaveric studies subject to historical limitations that challenge the veracity of its findings. This is not to disrespect those who did the research or the clinical advances it spurred. It is rather simply a statement of cold hard truth. State-of-the-art mechanical testing, biology, imaging, and modeling capabilities have greatly expanded the rigor with which research can be done over the past three decades since I graduated from the University of Iowa with my PhD in mechanical engineering. These new capabilities afford new opportunities to better understand the complex and foundational interplay of biology and mechanics in the foot and ankle, which can lead to evidence-based practice improvements. With an eye admittedly more toward biomechanics (my own specialty), this issue of Foot and Ankle Clinics of North America aims to survey some of the latest and greatest work in this context.