Restoring Motion for Knee OA Patients

By Terry Ross , Group President, Enovis Prevention & Recovery

For people living with chronic pain, the impact is beyond physical. Chronic pain has the potential to limit a person’s mobility, robbing them of everyday joys and activities that once fueled their quality of life. The far-reaching impact of this pain underscores the urgent need for a comprehensive, innovative, early and mid-stage conservative care approach to pain management that helps patients restore and maintain motion.

Knees are one of the most common joints impacted by osteoarthritis (OA), affecting an estimated 365 million people worldwide. With aging populations and increasing rates of obesity, OA prevalence is expected to grow. This pain can seriously influence mobility, quality of life and livelihoods. Total knee arthroplasty is generally viewed as the definitive treatment for knee OA once non-surgical interventions fail.

However, many patients suffering from this pain are seeking non-surgical options to stay active and maintain their quality of life prior to surgical intervention.

New Approaches in Bracing and Support

This treatment gap was the inspiration for the DonJoy® ROAM™ OA, our newest innovation for knee OA. ROAM OA is a single upright off-loading knee brace that helps to off-load pressure from the painful side of the joint. ROAM OA unloads the affected side of the knee by using the patented strapping system to pull on one side of the knee to force the affected side to open or offload.

The intended result is relieving pain, improving stability and supporting mobility. It was designed for conservative care, offering support to a wide range of patients with knee OA and instability, helping patients perform regular daily activity like shopping, golfing, and playing with their grandchildren with less pain.

We’re also excited to introduce Defiance® PRO, for both ACL and OA patients, improving upon the legacy of the world’s #1 custom knee brace built with innovative, proven technologies used and trusted by millions of athletes worldwide. Defiance PRO combines the clinically proven 4-Points-of-Leverage System™ and patented FourcePoint™ Hinge technology with a sleek lower-profile carbon fiber frame. Defiance PRO utilizes a trusted carbon fiber frame boasting the greatest strength-to-weight ratio built with lower weight and lower profile for a more comfortable fit. Each Defiance PRO brace is custom-built to fit patients’ unique anatomy and can be shipped within 24 hours. In addition, Defiance PRO is available in an OA configuration especially for people living with osteoarthritis who want a custom knee brace that will help provide the support and range of motion they need to do the things they love—from walking without pain to playing sports and being active.

Innovations like ROAM OA and Defiance PRO make me proud of our team’s dedication to supporting physicians and their patients. Our commitment to professional partnerships is at the core of everything we do at Enovis™ and we are appreciative of the insight by the amazing surgeons that worked with us to develop these advances.

Moreover, these are just two of the braces in our comprehensive OA product portfolio that includes devices designed for people living with early, mild, moderate or severe OA. We have been growing quickly as an organization, but our shared dedication to continuous improvement and better patient outcomes has kept us firmly anchored.

Better Insights through Partnerships

 With conference season in full swing, it’s been inspiring to connect with our partners at the National Athletic Trainers' Association Clinical Symposia & AT Expo and the American Orthopaedic Society for Sports Medicine Annual Meeting. I left these meetings feeling energized by the discussions around issues facing orthopedic care and the innovative solutions being brought forward to face these challenges. We’ve brought many innovations to life over the last year, and I couldn’t be more excited about what’s possible in the next year and beyond.

Individual results may vary. Neither DJO, LLC nor any of the Enovis companies dispense medical advice. The contents of this article do not constitute medical, legal, or any other type of professional advice. Rather, please consult your healthcare professional for information on the courses of treatment, if any, which may be appropriate for you.