Post op Knee orthoses RESPONSES

Randy McFarland

Description

Title:

Post op Knee orthoses RESPONSES

Creator:

Randy McFarland

Date:

1/31/2005

Text:

ORIGINAL MESSAGE
   We have been doing a lot more pre-fab. Orthotics than we did in the
past, to save costs and turnaround time. With the declining
reimbursements, we need the best value on our purchases. Our expertise
and expedience is still a benefit that we can offer to hospitals
although ours is now stocking L'Nard type resting AFOs. Today I'd like
your opinion on your favorite post op knee orthoses?
Features include:
* Free motion vs ROM control
* Locking in full extension or with some flexion.
* Some offer limited ability to contour the uprights and have
varying ease of adjusting straps and fitting.
Which offer the best adjustability/features for the price? Do you stock
more than one style?
I'll post responses!
Randy McFarland, CPO
Fullerton, CA

RESPONSES
We have been exclusively using Don Joy knee braces. We've tried several
others (someone is coming in almost monthly trying to sell us their new
and better brace), but we like the DJ IROM shorts for post ops. We CAN
contour the sides easily with bending irons and they also make a T-ROM
that has a separate drop lock that can be set to 0,10,20 and 30 degrees
independently of the ROM. Can't bend those as easily because it messes
up the lock. Functional knee braces, we use the DJ Fortitude. Again we
can contour for a bit of load and unload and shape. That one is a bit
pricey though.

We stock and use the Don Joy CPB. Works very well in terms of the
options that you mentioned.

KEEP THOSE INVENTORIES LOW WE JUST HAD A NEUROSURGEON START STOCKING
BREMMER

we use d/j ortho trom. if you buy a few you can get a discount. they
don't shape easily but are adjustable for length. there joint seams to
work well for many applications. the only problem is those reps out
there providing them also.

PPI out of DeFuniak Springs, FL has a semi-custom one I used on all my
>ACL's. You send them the measurements and they make a custom one within

>two days. Fits the best.

Bledsoe simple post-op hinged Knee brace w/ d-ring

We've started to use the Knee Management Orthosis (KMO) by ACI the PRAFO
company. I've put about 30 of them on patients with extraordinary
results. Pts. with supracondylar fractures; hamstring contractures;
Ilizarovs: ligament damage; meniscus injuries etc. The posterior strut
design is very user friendly and the variable joint is extremely easy to
adjust (even therapists, parents, trainers can change the angle. It is
a very new design yet can be billed under the 1831 L-code. It's also
very reasonably priced ~95$ per. Take a look at it ...I think you'll be
pleasantly surprised.

Does it make you wonder where our profession will be in the next 5
years? Here we are fitting more and more pre-fabbed devices, LSO's,
TLSO's... Which the hospitals and Docs are getting accustomed to and now
reps start coming in and fitting more of their pre-fabbed devices
directly. Will it be too late to go back to custom? I wonder about
what is happening. Apparently PT's and OT's starting in July of this
year will be able to fit prosthetic and orthotic devices and bill
Medicare for them!

                          

Citation

Randy McFarland, “Post op Knee orthoses RESPONSES,” Digital Resource Foundation for Orthotics and Prosthetics, accessed November 25, 2024, https://library.drfop.org/items/show/224374.