Study-Unit Description

Study-Unit Description


CODE POD3021

 
TITLE Advanced Podiatric Clinical Biomechanics

 
UM LEVEL 03 - Years 2, 3, 4 in Modular Undergraduate Course

 
MQF LEVEL 6

 
ECTS CREDITS 6

 
DEPARTMENT Podiatry

 
DESCRIPTION The study-unit is aimed to integrate the knowledge acquired during the first and second year Podiatric Clinical Biomechanics study-units together with the introduction of new concepts and their therapeutic applications in the clinical setting. Special emphasis will be placed on real case scenarios with patients presenting different clinical biomechanical pathologies.

Students will be exposed to a complete, holistic assessment, management and treatment plan, generating orthotic prescriptions during the consultations in this study-unit.

Study-unit Aims:

The study-unit aims to:

- Provide students with both the theory and the application of Advanced Podiatric Clinical Biomechanics to a patient context; and
- Encourage students to apply knowledge gained during the previous biomechanics study units to their professional practice and research.

Learning Outcomes:

1. Knowledge & Understanding:
By the end of the study-unit the student will be able to:

- Relate the understanding of normal and abnormal function of the human locomotor system as it specifically relates to lower extremity and foot pathology;
- Discuss the development of current research in relation to its application to the clinical scenario;
- Demonstrate a comprehensive understanding of the theoretical knowledge as it applies to movement analysis;
- Identify and critically discuss recent recent studies in biomechanics.

2. Skills:
By the end of the study-unit the student will be able to:

- Demonstrate a high level of confidence in the knowledge and use of biomechanical techniques and equipment used in a laboratory or clinical setting;
- Implement techniques in various ways in which human movement is analyzed from a biomechanical perspective;
- Improve observational skills relating to foot pathology; and
- Experiment with complex applications of data capture systems such as foot pressure mapping and analysis.

Main Text/s and any supplementary readings:

Main Texts:

- Gait Analysis. Normal and Pathological Function. Jacqueline Perry, Judith Burnfield.Published: Slack Incorporated. 2010.
- Gait analysis: An introduction, Michael W Whittle. 2nd edition, published: Oxford, Butterworth-Heinemann, 1996.

Supplementary Readings:

- Clinical Biomechanics of the lower extremities, ed by Ronald L Valmassy. Published: St Louis, Mosby, 1996.
- Assessment of the lower limb, edit by Linda M Meriman, David R Tollafield. Published: Edinburgh; New York, Churchill Livingstone, 1995.

 
ADDITIONAL NOTES Please note that a pass in all assessment components is obligatory for an overall pass mark to be awarded.

 
STUDY-UNIT TYPE Lecture, Independent Study, Placement & Tutorial

 
METHOD OF ASSESSMENT
Assessment Component/s Assessment Due Sept. Asst Session Weighting
Clinical Assessment [See Add. Notes] (1 Hour) SEM2 Yes 50%
Examination [See Add. Notes] (2 Hours) SEM2 Yes 50%

 
LECTURER/S Alfred Gatt
Thorne Claire Saliba

 

 
The University makes every effort to ensure that the published Courses Plans, Programmes of Study and Study-Unit information are complete and up-to-date at the time of publication. The University reserves the right to make changes in case errors are detected after publication.
The availability of optional units may be subject to timetabling constraints.
Units not attracting a sufficient number of registrations may be withdrawn without notice.
It should be noted that all the information in the description above applies to study-units available during the academic year 2023/4. It may be subject to change in subsequent years.

https://www.um.edu.mt/course/studyunit