Post op Knee orthoses ALL RESPONSES

Post op Knee orthoses ALL RESPONSES

Randy McFarland

2/2/2005

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!

I have found the Breg Telescope Post-Op (CO7714 T-scope post-op)to be
the best on all fronts.
-Due to its very easily adjustable lengths, only one size needs to be
stocked. I have fit a gentleman of 6'7 and a little lady of 5'3 with
this stock item and it fit both well.
-Joint is simple to use and there are no screws that get lost or work
their way out. No wrenches or hexs
-Is easy to fit the contra lateral leg (I like to leave the lateral
proximal extension longer than the medial) and then just reverse the
measurements to set it up for the post-op limb - with just the lift of a
lever!
-The adjustability of the wraps, one can adjust the posterior separately
than the anterior and if needed readjust very easily.
-With all of this glory, one would expect that something would need to
be sacrificed, if there is anything it would be contour ability, but
only on the very shortest setting.
-A very impressive point, to me, is that our rep doesn't sell to
hospitals and Drs.
    I found something that works well for the patient and is easy to
stock and reasonably priced, I am happy to sing its praises. Give it a
try - www.breg.com


I was SHOCKED at how many use DONJOY...our DIRECT COMPETITION...Do
Practitioner's not realize they are supporting the BIGGEST STOCK AND
BILL FARCE they take all they can from us...I do not use my
competition...they probably use SPS exclusive also giving $$$$ to
HANGER...(who owns SPS)

Here is one more knee brace to use as an option. Breg has just released
a T-Scope knee brace. It has all the adjustments for extension and
flexion, as well as a drop lock like feature that allows you to lock
knee in extension without changing limitations set. It also has
adjustable uprights which can be contoured. I have used and tried
everything from Bledsoe to Donjoy, this by far is the best and most user
friendly brace that I have tried. Hope this helps.

Are there any bracing manufacturers out there that do not compete with
us? If so I would like to know so that we can start to move their
direction.
 Townsend- Hires huge third party billing distributors- Atlanta area one
of
 the biggest in the country
 Breg- NOMA Board Members-Third party billing distributors DJ-NOMA Board
Members-Third party billing distributors OSSUR-NOMA Board Members-Third
party billing distributors Bledsoe-NOMA Board members- third party
billing distributors- Hired M.M.
 NOMA with DJ, G2, and Ossur.

A short correction. Bremer does not make a knee orthosis, so it could
not be possible that any are being stocked anywhere