Breg Unveils Several New Products at AAOS Meeting

Breg Inc., a premier provider of sports medicine products and services, unveiled three new products and a technological innovation for knee bracing at last week’s American Academy of Orthopaedic Surgery 2016 Annual Meeting in Orlando, Fla.  The company’s product introductions include VPULSE therapy, a new device designed to help reduce blood clot-related hospital readmissions.
 
VPULSE therapy is the only hospital-to-home device that assists with deep vein thrombosis (DVT) prevention therapy and delivers motorized cold therapy and wound compression, Breg executives said. DVT is the development of blood clots in a deep vein, commonly the thigh or calf. A pulmonary embolism (PE) is a clot that breaks free and travels to the lungs. Combined, these two conditions, known as venous thromboembolism (VTE), affect 900,000 Americans annually, and as many as 11 percent die from it. The most common preventable cause of hospital deaths in the U.S.,¹ VTE is a risk for patients undergoing major orthopedic surgery. More than 50 percent of surgery-related VTE happen after discharge, presenting a need for at-home prophylaxis.²
 
“Breg’s new VPULSE therapy device provides three major benefits to health care organizations,” said Mark Snyder, M.D., medical director of the orthopedic center of excellence at Good Samaritan Hospital in Cincinnati, Ohio. “It has been shown to help decrease readmissions related to blood clots. Physicians are also reassured that total hip and knee replacement patients will continue to be protected from DVT at home, enabling expedited hospital discharge. Finally, the use of VPULSE in combination with aspirin may reduce expenses associated with anticoagulant medications.”

VPULSE helps patients achieve complete, comfortable recoveries through delivery of three distinct therapies: Rapid impulse calf compression to help prevent DVT; cold therapy to reduce operative site discomfort and inflammation; and wound compression to reduce operative site inflammation. The device also features an SD card to help doctors track their patients’ therapy.

“A large percentage of total joint replacement patients already use cold therapy to manage pain and surgical site swelling,” Breg President/CEO Brad Lee told Orthopedic Design & Technology. “The VPULSE device combines cold therapy and mechanical prophylaxis to enhance blood flow and help reduce (hospital) readmission for blood clots. I’m not aware of any device currently out there that does this.”

In addition to VPULSE, Breg unveiled FastForm bracing, an alternative to casting, and the Genesis mid-calf walker boot, the lightest full shell boot on the market. The company also introduced Dynamic bracing, a new technology available on select knee braces that uses the body’s own movement to provide force only when needed.

FastForm upper extremity bracing, an alternative to plaster or fiberglass casting, gives patients a highly customized fit that is lightweight, water resistant, radiolucent and biodegradable. When heated, FastForm’s PolyTrexX polymer becomes pliable and conformable. Once molded to the patient’s anatomy, the brace cures to a high strength, ventilated immobilization orthosis. Easily removable, FastForm can be reheated and reformed to match the patient’s care cycle. The integrated DermaWick liner wicks moisture away, keeping skin dry and reducing itch and odor.
 
The Genesis Mid-Calf Walker Boot is lightweight and low-profile, and 24 percent shorter than a full-size boot. Designed to address problems of comfort and maneuverability that many patients experience, the boot is inspired by athletic shoe technology. The Genesis Mid-Calf Walker mimics a healthy gait, allowing patients to recover with minimal disruption.
 
Dynamic bracing, available only on specific Breg ligament knee braces, is biomechanically designed to provide force to the knee at the time of medical need during knee extension. The brace relieves the pressure when force is not needed, allowing patients’ freedom of movement. Dynamic technology is available for ACL/PCL, osteoarthritis and patellofemoral support.
 
“The technological innovation in these three new products and our Dynamic bracing exemplifies our ‘total solutions’ offering for the orthopedic practice,” said Lee.

Breg provides sports medicine products and services that advance orthopedic patient care. Founded in 1989, Breg is based in Carlsbad, Calif., and is a company of Water Street Healthcare Partners, a strategic investor focused exclusively on the healthcare industry.

References:
 
1. Centers for Disease Control. 2015. Available at http://www.cdc.gov/ncbddd/dvt/data.html
2. Bosque Jose et al. Relationship between DVT and PE Following THA, TKA. Orthopedics. 2012 Mar; 228-233.