Heritage Medical Equipment, LLC

Unloader Knee Brace

What is the difference between an unloader knee brace with one hinge or with two hinges?  

An unloader knee brace with one hinge is intended for slender patients or highly athletic patients.  This is a low-profile treatment option for unicompartmental osteoarthritis.  A brace with one hinge generally should not be used on patients with soft tissue on their legs or arthritic conditions that are something more than mild.

An unloader knee brace with two hinges is indicated for the majority of patients with Knee OA.  These braces provide protection and stability as well as unloading.  

So which unloader knee brace is right for you?  If you are active and on your feet for extended periods of time (like a marathon runner) you should look towards a knee brace with one hinge, if you are anybody else try a brace with two hinges.

And always, always, always remember that the person fitting you should be a certified practitioner.  Don't just assume they are.  These knee braces will change the way your knee moves and functions.  Make sure the person measuring and fitting you is certified in fitting orthotic devices.  

Arthritis Knee Brace

Can a neoprene sleeve help an arthritic knee?  Yes it can.  Neoprene provides warmth and compression which will increase blood flow to the knee joint.  

Should I get an arthritis knee brace with hinges?

A neeprene knee braces with hinges will provide a measure of protection and stability.  Hinges should be considered if the knee joint feels loose or gives out.

Is a neoprene sleeve like an unloader knee brace?  No it is not.  An unloader knee brace requires a prescription and will change the biomechanics of a knee joint.  A neoprene sleeve does not affect biomechanics. 

The Results Are In. Unloader Knee Brace Works!

 

This is an actual letter that Townsend Design received from yet another happy patient.

"Dear Mark,

I have attached two PDf documents showing the before and after x-rys of my left knee.  It illustrates the significant change and improved position of my knee, with separation and relief from the bone to bone condition I have.

I wanted to take a moment to let you know what a huge change the new brace has had on the quality of life for me and the exceptional care you provided.  The casting and custom built Townsend Unloader Knee Brace along with building the shim pads for my shoes to correct my bow legged condition have decreased swelling, eliminated the pain I was having 24/7 and most importantly is allowing me to do the things I would never have been able to do before.

My son and I attended te SF Giants game and we have standing room only tickts in right field.  I was able to stand for over 3 hours straight, with no support and never leaving my location completely pain free.  This included both my knee and lower bcak, which I normally start having pain after 15 minutes.  The constant swelling of the knee is gone.

Your attention to detail and the process and advice you provided have resulted in a significant improvemet in quality of life for me and I see myself doing many more activities and extending the life of my knee for years to come.

With warm regards and a big thank you!

Bob V.

 

Thanks for sharing Bob V! 

 

 

L-1844 Unloader Knee Brace Earns PDAC Letter

Free brace to any existing Townsend Account in downstate New York or North New jersey who can correctly identify the person that the knee pictured above belongs to. I hope Thuasne brings over some leg models....

The Premier Reliever 1.0, custom arthritis knee brace, was approved for L-1844 and given a PDAC letter to prove it this week.  CMS awarded the L 1844 code to this single upright custom osteoarthritis knee orthotic.

View Heritage Medical's unloader knee braces and PDAC letters.

 

 

Unloader Knee Brace Gets New PDAC Letter

The Air Townsend Reliever, an off-loading knee brace, was given a PDAC letter by CMS this week for L-1846.  Townsend Design has always recommended that this arthritis knee brace be billed at L 846 but the new PDAC letter makes it official.

View PDAC letters for all of Heritage Medical's arthritis knee braces. 

Townsend PDAC Letters - Premier Reliever

The Premier Reliever custom Unloader Knee Brace used to treat osteoarthritis was approved for L-1846 by CMS this week.  The Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services approved this arthritis knee brace along with several other of Townsend Design's knee orthotics.

View the L-1846 PDAC Letters for Heritage Medical's OA Knee Braces.

 

Osteoarthritis Knee Brace - A New Measuring System

This is the final post in a ten part series about arthritis knee braces.

 The Cast Alternative System (CAS) is a measuring system used to fabricate custom knee braces manufactured by Townsend Design.

The CAS helps practitioners obtain custom fitted knee braces without the mess and hassle often associated with cast molds.  The CAS will also eliminate the shipping expense of sending your cast molds to the Townsend fabrication facility in Bakersfield, California.

The CAS is quick and simple.  However it shouldn't be used for your patients with unique anatomy, severe arthritis, or excessive soft tissue.  Townsend's Premier Series, Rebel Series, Reliever One, and Uni Relievers can all be constructed from the CAS system.

Additional CAS Information 

 

 

OA Knee Brace - The Softforce Reliever

This is the ninth post in a ten part series about Unloader Knee Braces.

 

 

The Softforce Reliever is a single-upright OA knee brace manufactured by Townsend Design.

This off-the-shelf knee brace is best suited for geriatric patients or patients that would have trouble donning a traditional type of unloader knee brace.  Neoprene provides circumferential warmth and compression while the malleable hinge provides a gentle amount of "unloading".

The top portion of this brace is made with a velcro anterior opening so patients with arthritic fingers can don the brace more easily than a pull-up neoprene sleeve.  The hinge is placed opposite the pathology and is bent by the practitioner to gently increase or decrease the amount of pressure it applies to the affected compartment.

This is a treatment option worth considering for your geriatric patients.  Townsend recommends L-1843 as the appropriate code for this brace.

Heritage Unloader Brace Information

 

Osteoarthritis Knee Brace - The Rebel Reliever

This is the eighth post in a ten-part series about OA Knee Braces.

 

The Rebel Reliever is one of Townsend's best selling OA knee braces.  This unloader used to treat osteoarthritis is constructed from aluminum shells.  It is lightweight, easy to wear, and easy to fit and order.  The Rebel Reliever can be ordered as a custom or off the shelf model.  Fabrication requires either measurements, tracings, cast molds, leg scans, or photography systems.

The adjustment mechanism on the hinge that provides the three point pressure system which unloads the arthritic compartment of the knee always goes on the side of the pathology.  

This knee brace can be "customized" from three measurements.  So if you are a practitioner ordering an off-the-shelf brace, take a thigh circumference measurement, calf circumference measurement, and a knee width measurement and the appropriate sized shells and hinges will be built into your brace. 

L-1846 is used when ordering a custom version of this knee brace, and L-1845 is used when ordering an off-the-shelf model.  

Heritage Medical Arthritis Knee Brace   

 

 

Off Loading Knee Brace - The Reliever One

This is the seventh post in a ten-part series about knee braces as treatment options for osteoarthritis.

 

 

The Reliever One knee brace is manufactured by Townsend Design.  This orthotic is constructed from aluminum and can be ordered as either a custom or off-the-shelf model.  It is lightweight and easy for patients to don.  The ideal patient for this brace has thin to average anatomy.

The Reliever One can be constructed from leg scans, cast molds, measurements, tracings, or photography systems.  It can even be built from a competitor's measurement system.

It is important to note on the Reliever One that the hinge on this brace is always placed opposite the pathology.  So if a patient presents with medial compartment osteoarthritis, they will get a brace with the hinge on the lateral side.  This is great when medial interference is an issue.

L-1844 is for the custom knee brace, L-1843 is used when ordering off-the-shelf.  This is a low profile, lightweight brace.  

More information on this unloader brace.