Lower Extremity Review
The Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services (CMS) have announced the following updates, which are effective for dates of service on or after January 1, 2020: New L-Code: A new lower extremity–related Healthcare Common Procedure Coding System (HCPCS) code has been added.
Regina Weger has been promoted to president of SPS, Alpharetta, GA; the company is a subsidiary of Hanger, Austin, TX. Weger has been with SPS for over 20 years, starting in the customer service function. She most recently served as vice president and general manager.
The European Investment Bank (EIB) is providing financing of up to €100 million to Ottobock SE & Co. KGaA, Duderstadt, Germany. The company will use the funds over the next three years to fund new product development and product improvements with a focus on prosthetics, orthoses, and human mobility. The loan is backed by a guarantee from the European Fund for Strategic Investments (EFSI).
Cascade Orthopedic Supply, Chico, CA, announced an investment made in the company by Ottobock North America, Austin TX; details of the transaction were not disclosed. The investment aims to strengthen the collaboration of the two companies to further improve access to product for all orthotic and prosthetic (O&P) customers and…
The Board of Regents of the University System of Georgia has approved a Master of Science in Prosthetics and Orthotics (P&O) at Kennesaw State University. It will be housed in the Department of Exercise Science and Sport Management in the WellStar College of Health and Human Services.
Integrity Orthotics has joined the LBG Medical family of companies. Based in the United Kingdom, LBG Medical has been a leading orthotic provider for over 40 years and is the largest custom orthotic laboratory in Europe.
Engineers at the University of Utah (UofU), Salt Lake City, have developed and have been trialing a computerized bionic leg to help amputees walk faster, easier, and with better balance. Now, mechanical engineering assistant professor Tommaso Lenzi, PhD, who heads the project developing the Utah Bionic Leg, has received 2 grants to further advance the technology.
MolecuLight, Toronto, Canada, has received 510(k) clearance from the US Food & Drug Administration (FDA) for its i:X handheld fluorescence imaging device for use in the detection of wounds containing bacteria. The MolecuLight i:X enables real time point-of-care visualization of fluorescence in wounds and measures wounds and digitally records all images and area measurements.
A recent study showed that one-third of public and private high schools in the US have no access to athletic trainers and that lack of appropriate sports medicine care is even greater for private schools where parents are traditionally paying for what they perceive as a better and safer experience.
Researchers at the University of Notre Dame recently received $4.6 million from the US Department of Defense to help fund studies for a drug they developed for the treatment of diabetic foot ulcers. The compound, called (R)-ND-336, is a topical gel. It was developed by Mayland Chang, PhD, research professor in the Department of Chemistry and…
Stevens Institute of Technology (Stevens), Hoboken, NJ, has signed an exclusive licensing agreement with health and technology company Bonbouton, New York, giving Bonbouton the right to use and further develop a graphene sensing system that detects early signs of diabetic foot ulcers (DFUs) before they form. Left untreated, DFUs can cause severe tissue and bone damage and may ultimately lead to amputation.
Cartilage in human joints can repair itself through a process like that used by creatures such as salamanders and zebrafish to regenerate limbs, researchers at Duke University Health System (Duke Health), Durham, NC, found. In their article, published online in the journal Science Advances, the researchers identified a mechanism for cartilage repair that appears to be more robust in ankle joints and less so in hips. The finding could potentially lead to treatments for osteoarthritis, they said.
The Standards and Guidelines for the Accreditation of Education Programs in Orthotist and Prosthetist Assistant were approved by the Commission on Accreditation of Allied Health Education Programs (CAAHEP) board. CAAHEP accredits programs upon the recommendation of the National Commission on Orthotic and Prosthetic Education. Standards are the minimum requirements to which an accredited program is held accountable.
Two people with transfemoral amputations have been able to feel their prosthetic foot and knee in real time via 4 intraneural sensors that connect to residual nerves in the thigh. The resulting neurofeedback reduces the physical and mental strain for prosthetic users and has been shown to reduce phantom limb pain.
Noridian, the Durable Medical Equipment (DME) Medicare Administrative Contractor (MAC) for Jurisdictions A and D, has updated its guidelines regarding use of the RA Modifier, which is to be used for replacement of a DME, orthotic, or prosthetic item.
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