Thanks for all the responses.
The original post:
Just a thought to kick around: What do you think about Alpha liners sold
to us in pairs? Is this being forced on us by manufacturer. What if
amputee only wants one and washes it daily, do we have a right to force
them to take two?
TIA
Marty Mandelbaum CPO
The responses:
1:Hi Marty- I have heard a number of practitioners complain about such
“bundled” pricing, resenting the fact that they are forced to buy pairs
no matter what. Some people see it as predatory pricing and an
admission by the manufacturer that the product is not durable enough to
be used singly. Using the same logic, limb sox should only be sold by
the dozen.
2: The Alpha Liner is manufactured with a mineral oil component. As
the
manufacturer at OOW explained to me in a seminar each liner needs a day
after
washing for a new layer of mineral secretion to come to the surface.
This
makes sense to me.
I have not used any since I took the course, but would not hesitate to
if the
patient was a candidate, or specifically asked me to use them. I
personally
use many TEC liner’s. Regardless, proper fit is in the socket mods, and
alignment, and patient trials. I don’t rely on soft liners to solve all
the
potential problems.
3 Marty, The official line (as I understand it) is that having two and
alternating
allows the material to recover from indentations and for the mineral oil
to
migrate to the surface.
4: Hi Marty, I have also given this some thought – the simple reality is
2 lines doubles life expectancy of each liner ! The practical reality
is most alpha users find it much easier to manage cleaning if they have
one to wear while washing the other. I am told it is possible to
purchase one line ??
5: Dear Marty,
I use almost exclusively Alpha liners. Since I started my business one
year ago I do not keep a large inventory of Alpha liners yet. I have
had to mix a few sets recently but only one warranty card comes with a
set. The distal umbrellas of both Alpha liners came out of the liners
of a mixed set. I believe the patient is mistreating the liners because
I have not seen this before and so soon. The liners are registered to
two different people and I was worried about getting replacements. OWW
did not give me a problem and replaced the pair.
6: Marty……. I feel we should not be “forced” into buying 2 liners,
regardless of needing 1 or 2. That’s a clinical and/or economic
decision
which I feel should be left up to the prosthetist and/or the individual
being
provided with the prosthesis. We all no that silicone doe’s not absorb
water
and the can be towel dried. Further the nylon outer surface will dry
overnight. The only justifiable reason, in my opinion, is to have a
back-up
liner should one become damaged.
Those are my thoughts and opinions!..
7: Marty- I understand what you’re saying, but I still think it’s a
good idea if we can
apply the same principle to the insurance companies. It can take so long
to
get authorization for replacement whatevers, it’s nice for the amputee
to
have more than one to start with. When one starts getting too worn, the
other
one can be used while we proceed on getting authorization.
8: Marty – my experience has been that the two liners work very well, by
allowing time to dry between cleanings, and extending the overall
lifetime of the liners. I have sold one pair to a bilateral amputee, as
a way of cutting down on cost. In general, I have found that the Alphas
are softer and less durable, making the two liners a good idea for
longevity.
