Feature
Internal Control in Your O&P Practice: Why Do You Need It?
By Miki Fairley
After "Jim"* ( names have been changed to protect identity ) had passed his boards, he opened a healthcare practice and brought his old college friend "Bob" in to manage the business. Although Jim was the sole owner, Bob was well compensated...
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Feature
The Case for Customer Service
By Karen Henry
The first step to healing, as the saying goes, is admitting you have a problem. Three years ago, Joe Sansone, president of TMC Orthopedic in Houston, Texas, found out he had a big problem. With six locations throughout the city, TMC Orthopedic pro...
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Feature
Marketing: Why It's Critical for Your Business
Edited by Karen Henry Francis Moran Francis Moran, founder and managing partner of in media Public Relations Inc., provides straightforward advice on marketing your O&P practice that you can implement today. Q: Why is marketing so im...
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Today's Consumer
Tyler Carron and Nikko Landeros: A Year In The Life...
By Brady Delander
Tyler Carron and Nikko Landeros will neverforget 2007. For the teenagers, it was a year that started withtragedy on the side of a cold, snow-swept road in Berthoud,Colorado, and ended with the two resuming the activities theylove--this time on Ott...
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Perspective
O&P Facility Nightmare: One Bad Decision Can Sink the Ship
By Teresa Presson
I had the pleasure of working at an O&P facility for 20 years. We provided excellent patient care and were well respected by our patients and the surrounding medical communities. Our staff adhered to the highest ethical standards of providing O&P...
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Outside In
Complementary Care: Athletic and Fitness Training in O&P
By Miki Fairley
Working with athletic or fitness trainers-or attaining these credentials yourself- as a part of your approach to comprehensive patient care can help improve patient outcomes. Dan Minert, MS, CO, ATC, owner of Kensington Valley Orthotic and Spor...
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Education Outlook
Tabula Rasa? Not Anymore!
By Kristin Carnahan
If you have talked to anyone from the master of sciencein prosthetics and orthotics program at the Georgia Institute ofTechnology (Georgia Tech), you may have heard it mentionedthat one weakness in our training is in the area of technicalskills. I...
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Sports
Airborne Amputee Event Lands Safely
The first Airborne Amputee skydiving event, sponsored by The Amputee and Prosthetic Center of Houston, Texas,and others, was a thrill for six amputees, most of whom made theirfirst jumps November 10 in Rosharon, Texas. The Amputee and Prosthetic C...
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Industry Review
Nationwide Ski Tour off to a ‘Spectacular’ Start
By Brady Delander
A smile stretched across Steffini Vandever'sface expressed everything that could be said about the20 th annual Hartford Ski Spectacular, held December 2-9at Beaver Run Resort in Breckenridge, Colorado. And the proudmother wasn't even on skis. Inst...
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Policy & Practice
Court Rules More DMEPOS Documentation Needed
By John Latsko
In late October 2007, the United States Court of Appeals for the Fourth Circuit ruled that an executed Certificate of Medical Necessity (CMN) was not sufficient medical documentation to establish the medical need for supplying durable medical e...
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Face to Face
Five Questions for Raymond J. Margiano, PhD, CEO
When Raymond J. Margiano, PhD, CEO and founder of Foot Solutions Inc., in Marietta, Georgia, left the corporate world to start Heel Quik!, a shoe repair operation, his father and mentor said, "Shoe repair? You could have had my service station." H...
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Progress on Parity
Full Speed Ahead in the Fight for Parity
By Morgan Sheets
Over the past couple of years, the AmputeeCoalition of Americas (ACA) advocacy department has built anational campaign from the ground up, lobbied lawmakers, createdresources, and provided day-to-day technical assistance for each ofthe state bills...
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Got FAQs?
Got FAQs?
By Lisa Lake-Salmon
Denials are difficult to identify and time consumingto appeal. With competitive bidding, mandatory accreditation, agingtechnology, and increased billing errors, running an O&P shopgets more complicated each year. Q: What is the Medicare rule on a...
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Viewpoint
O&P Predictions for 2008
By Karen Henry
Having just wrapped up an incredible year of advances and innovations in prosthetic technology, I thought it would be interesting to kick off 2008 with some predictions on what the new year might bring the O&P profession. I called on the member...
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EDGE Direct
Welcome to EDGE Direct
The oandp.com Newsletter has a new look--and a newname. The O&P EDGE , in cooperation with oandp.com, isproud to present the first issue of EDGE Direct , yoursource for O&P news and information delivered straight to youre-mail inbox. With EDGE Dir...
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EDGE Direct
Hot Topics
EDGE Direct tracks the most-discussed topics on the OANDP-Llistserv, as well as other sources, and will present those subjectshere in "Hot Topics." From accreditation deadlines and competitive bidding for DMEPOSto the latest news on the fight for...
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TefloGlass is now the ultimate in
oven linings. It's a Teflon®-impregnated fiberglass weave that
won't trap air. TefloGlass ensures a marked
increased in the uniform heating of any thermoplastic material.
There is no need for silicone powders or any other parting
agents when using TefloGlass. Its porous weave
greatly improves your vacuum-forming efficiency and can endure up
to one year of everyday use. TefloGlass is
available in a width of 48 in., and it is sold by the foot.
The Ortho Remedy
800.662.7993
www.orthoremedy.com

The PROPRIO FOOTTM is
Ossur's latest addition from Bionic Technology.
The world's first motor-powered and artificially intelligent
prosthesis for transtibial amputees, the foot operates as closely
as you can get today to natural, anatomical functioning.
Includes the following key benefits:
- Identifies slopes and stairs after the first step and instructs
the ankle to flex appropriately.
- Allows wearers to more easily sit down or rise from a
chair.
- Creates a more symmetrical and balanced gait.
- Easy to set up and operate. In 15 steps, the device evaluates
and memorizes the wearer's unique way of walking.
Ossur
800.233.6263
www.ossur.com

Ossur's new Mauch® Knee and
Mauch Knee Plus have a great new look with a tough
aluminum frame and mechanical extension stop, making them the most
durable and secure knees available. The new and enhanced features
improve durability and provide more security for amputees at any
activity level.
Included in the enhanced Mauch Knee family:
- Increased durability, engineered to endure the toughest
use.
- Durability of the cylinder has been improved with the addition
of spherical bearings, protecting the cylinder from damaging
torsional forces.
- Side play is minimized by specially designed bushings of all
moving parts in the knee.
Ossur
800.233.6263
www.ossur.com

To give practices immediate access to reports and
information that can help them manage the financing portion of
their practice and encourage patients to get the optimal technology
they need, CareCredit, the nations leader in patient financing, has
added enhanced features and functionality to
CareCredit.com
CareCredit.com now features at-a-glance
reporting so practices can view application status, see when
patients apply at home, view patient available credit, and access
the practices account activity and transaction summary. Experience
these powerful and innovative new reports and tools at
CareCredit.com
CareCredit
800.300.3046 x4519
www.carecredit.com

The WalkAide® System
consists of a small lightweight cuff and a device the size of a
deck of cards worn just below the knee. WalkAide
produces gentle electrical stimulation that activates the peroneal
nerve and raises the foot at the appropriate time in the walking
cycle. The result is freedom from wearing a conventional AFO while
experiencing a more natural gait. Less effort is required to walk
or perform everyday activities, and patients can wear any shoes or
even go barefoot when appropriate. Innovative Neurotronics is
sending out hundreds of leads per month to our O&P partners.
Join our team now.
Innovative Neurotronics
888.884.6462
www.walkaide.com

Meet the next generation of electronic stance
control orthoticsthe Sensor WalkTM Electronic
Stance Control KAFO. Developed by Otto Bock in conjunction
with the Mayo Clinic, the Sensor Walk delivers
superb stance control in a heavy-duty custom KAFO. Unique sensors
in the footplate know when the patient is in late stance phase and
trigger the knee joint to unlock. Because an extension moment is
not required to unlock the joint, the Sensor Walk
helps provide a more natural gait.
The Sensor Walk can accommodate patients up to
300 lb. (136kg) and a 15-degree knee flexion contracture.
Otto Bock HealthCare
800.328.4058
www.ottobockus.com

Why wait two or three weeks when you can have it
now? OPTEC introduces the new EZStep leather gauntlet
services, offering a 72-hour standard turnaround, with
next-day and second-day fabrication also available.
The new EZStep AFO continues the pattern of
innovation and excellence catered to your needs. The EZStep
AFO features unsurpassed craftsmanship, premium leather
outer shell with soft, comfortable, padded leather lining, and
multiple closure systems for easy donning and doffing. The
EZStep's custom fabrication combines incomparable
comfort with unparalleled control, helping make each step easier
than the last.
OPTEC
888.982.8181
www.optecbrace.com

SpineCor® is a dynamic
system that utilizes postural re-education to target four key
progression factors of idiopathic scoliosis: neuromusculoskeletal
dysfunction; growth asymmetry; postural disorganization; and spinal
deformation.
SpineCor advantages include:
- 89 percent effective; clinically proven in a 400-patient,
ten-year study.
- Documented Cobb angle reductions maintained for five years
after treatment.
- Dedicated U.S. technical/clinical support staff.
- Increased patient acceptance; better compliance.
- Custom made to measurement from Becker Central
Fabrication.
L-Code: L-1005. 2008 Phase I training seminars are now being
scheduled. U.S. Patent No. 5,599,286.
Becker Orthopedic
800.521.2192
www.beckerorthopedic.com

The Vista Collar from Aspen
improves patient care while saving time, money, and storage space.
The innovative height adjustment technology makes the Vista
Collar like six collars in one.
The right size is always on hand, reducing inventory cost and
speeding up patient care. The enormous tracheal aperture provides
functional access for airway management and other essential
procedures.
The innovative design of the Vista Collar
allows the practitioner to simply apply the collar and then adjust
it to the proper height. Available in adult and child sizes.
Knit-Rite Inc.
800.821.3094

The BRAE Orthosis is designed for
the management of forearm rotation contractures using a static
progressive stretching protocol. It is useful for treatment of
forearm contractures resulting from upper-extremity fractures and
injuries. Forearm rotation is adjusted through a dual offset
channel with a patented overlapping adjustable rotation
component.
Benefits include:
- Maintains post-surgical forearm rotation positioning.
- Decreases substitution that can result from misalignment of the
mechanical to anatomical axis for forearm rotation.
- Maintains static progression of infinite positions in
supination and pronation.
- Controls forearm rotation position while allowing free motion
in the sagittal plane.
Becker Oregon
800.866.7522
www.beckerorthopedic.com

Ohio Willow Wood's
DuraLiteTM foot weighs only 356g and
provides high-energy return. Prosthetists can chose a pyramid
receiver or rotating pyramid for the proximal adapter. The proximal
adapters allow the foot to be easily field-height adjustable
without drilling holes. The foot's maximum and minimum heights are
13 in. and 5.9 in. Other features include urethane toe pad, split
heel, and two heel heights.
Amputees testing the DuraLite experienced
successful foot performance while working construction, completing
barn and livestock chores, hiking, and jogging.
The DuraLite has a 36-month warranty. Patient
weight limit is 300 lb.
Ohio Willow Wood
800.848.4930
www.owwco.com

The new 650 APU® Bariatric
PRAFO® orthosis from Anatomical Concepts is available
for immediate shipment from PEL Supply. Designed to accommodate
larger patients, this new APU(adjustable
posterior upright) can be used for ambulatory as well as
recumbent patients and offers all the functionality of the standard
APU.
Kodel® boot will fit across a dorsum measurement up to 23
in., and footplate width is 5 in. Extends from 12½ in. to
13¾ in. in length, and 14 in. to 15 in. in height. Available
with traditional green/white or black liner (shown).
PEL Supply Company
800.321.1264
www.pelsupply.com

The new Black Iron Trainer is a
lighter version of the heavy-duty, high-performance Black Iron
Master. While the Black Iron Trainer is smaller
and lighter in weight, it is capable of handling the wide range of
handle diameters that are encountered in modern fitness and
exercise facilities.
The completely manual operation and positive locking and
unlocking design provides uncompromising security and stability for
bench pressing, dumbbell flys, dead lifts, pull-downs, and more.
The Black Iron Trainer, with a load-rating of 440
lb., also carries a smaller price tag than its larger cousin.
TRS Inc.
800.279.1865
www.oandp.com/trs

Dycor's ADL-LCD Lisfranc/Chopart Energy
Returning Foot provides maximum flexibility and
resiliency, strength of attachment, and anatomical support of
hindfoot, with minimum weight (12.5 oz. with foot shell, 26cm med)
and socket clearance (3/8 in. including foot shell).

The forefoot is horizontally split into five
segments to maintain the same degree of forefoot flexibility
regardless of medial and lateral shift of the floor reaction.
Integrated carbon fiber "tie-ins" around the heel portion of the
keel are epoxied directly to the end of the socket, forming a
stronger lap joint between the heel segment of the keel and the
prosthetic socket. Titanium option available.
Dycor
800.794.6099
www.dycormfg.net

"Fun With The ABC's" DVD from
Little Horizons Inc. is an animated learning adventure embracing
special needs children that delivers education through
entertainment. Share the experience with your waiting room
visitors.
Little ones will love dancing and singing along to the fun music
and rhymes as they journey through this visually exciting
presentation. They will soar through the sky into outer space,
visit the North Pole, explore the depths of the jungle, take a
train ride into the Wild West, race off toward the finish line, or
dive deep beneath the sea.
Little Horizons Inc.
786.566.7815
www.littlehorizons.com

Introducing a new top-quality, transparent
material to use for evaluation interfaces. Not brittle, so there
are no concerns about fracturing. Stiff with a bit of flexibility
so it pulls easily and is very moldable. Easily modified with a
heat gun. When heated to 340 degrees F, OPCheck
Sheets pull easily with minimal shrinkage. Excellent
bonding with easy grinding and edge finishing. Available in four
thicknesses from 8mm to 15mm. Sheets are 16 in. by 16 in.
Knit-Rite Inc.
800.821.3094

The Ohio Willow Wood Alpha Flex
Sleeve offers flexibility, increased range of motion, and
greater comfort. It may be used with locking suspension, suction
suspension, or LimbLogic© VS to create an airtight
seal. The durable Alpha Flex Sleeve uses a
derivative of the popular Alpha gel.
For even more durability, the Alpha Flex Sleeve
features a contoured polyurethane pad on the interior fabric cuff.
This pad, which covers the typical socket brim, helps reduce damage
to the seal due to impacts in the brim area.
Gel thickness is 3mm. Warranted for 30 days from date of
original shipment. Suggested U.S. L-Code is L-5675.
Knit-Rite Inc.
800.821.3094

BridgePoint Medical, an orthotics
and prosthetics company, will solve your business issues and allow
you to focus on your patients. We are not brokers, a buyout fund,
or corporate CPAs. We are well-funded, experienced, and focused on
creating a great patient care company. We can provide immediate
cash and help you plan your future. We also offer a
FREE practice evaluation.
If you are interested in finding a partner to run the business
side of your practice, contact us. All discussions will remain
confidential.
BridgePoint Medical
859.260.8576
www.bp-medical.com/partner.htm