When it comes to sustainability, some of our manufacturing partners are more proactive than others. For those that need encouragement, we have always taken the view that helping them can have a positive outcome for both companies and strengthen the collaboration.
A good example of this is the unique – Active Dynamic Step-On AFO – which we have distributed on behalf of the European Orthopedic Centre in Greece for six years now. The packaging was an environmental nightmare, with no less than seven different plastic bags being used in the product presentation. This initial appearance, together with the presentation did nothing to reflect the extremely high levels of design innovation contained within the product. Whilst from a practical perspective, trying to store or stack products in plastic bags either in a warehouse or clinic room is far from ideal.
So, there was an opportunity not only to reduce the environmental impact of the product packaging, but also significantly enhance the brand identity. Despite this not being our immediate responsibility, we consider our role as a distribution partner much more than just selling products and part of this is to constantly try and reduce any negative impact our business is having on the environment.
Although we are only part of the way through this project, we have already re-designed the outer packaging so moving from plastic to printing on board from a sustainable source, whilst at the same time enhancing the brand to the status it deserves. There is still work to do in eliminating all of the remaining internal plastic, but we have offered the manufacturer suggested solutions and hope to complete this project in the next few months.
Although projects like this initially incur cost, they should always be seen as an investment in the future – not just from an environmental perspective, but as good business practice on which we will all be judged in the years to come.
If you would like to learn more about Brace Orthopaedic’s range of innovative orthoses or indeed arrange a product demonstration, then please contact Customer Services on 0191 258 8944 where Cathryn or Iain would be delighted to help. Alternatively, please visit our website at www.braceorthopaedic.co.uk
Since the call to action, UK Orthotic product companies, service providers, hospital clinics and individual orthotists have been making significant donations of orthotic/orthopaedic braces and supports to the #OrthoticsToUkraine campaign. This has been heart-warming and a reflection on the tight knit family our industry is here in the UK.
Speaking with our Ukrainian clinical friends, I am also pleased to confirm that these products are now widely distributed within the country and being applied to patients on a daily basis.
However, the conflict is intensifying and the need for such goods is growing all the time. As such, I just wanted to reinforce the message that all unwanted orthotics in reasonable condition are appreciated and for as long as I am receiving donations and there is a need, I will continue to facilitate shipments to Ukraine.
If you would like to contact me, please email clive@braceorthopaedic.co.uk
Brace Orthopaedic are delighted to be sponsoring the Malvern Diabetic Foot conference for the second consecutive year.
The 2022 event will be the 19th meeting since its inception in 1986 and it is recognised as the longest standing biennial International Diabetic Foot meeting with renowned speakers from USA, Belgium, Netherlands and the UK.
This 3 day conference brings together Surgeons, Podiatrists, Orthotists and Nursing staff with a common interest in treating Diabetic Foot problems.
“After 2 years of Covid restrictions it is fantastic to be meeting clinicians face to face at a major conference and exhibition once again,” explained Gary Barrett, National Sales Manager. “This event offers a perfect opportunity to showcase the high quality, Fior & Gentz Diabetic footwear, of which Brace Orthopaedic are proud to be the exclusive UK distributors.
The clinicians we are meeting have been very enthusiastic about the Fior & Gentz products and have been particularly impressed by the high quality manufacturing, developed over the last 25 years, which ensures optimum protection of the Diabetic Foot.”
“In addition, some of the clinical benefits of this extensive footwear range include; the rigid rocker bottom soles which provide enhanced biomechanical control, availability of high quality EVA insoles which can be adapted to provide off-loading of a diabetic foot ulcer and concealed stitching which provide a good interface between the shoe upper and the patient’s skin.”
If you would like to learn more about Brace Orthopaedic’s range of innovative orthoses or indeed arrange a product demonstration, then please contact Customer Services on 0191 258 8944 where Cathryn or Iain would be delighted to help. Alternatively, please visit our website at www.braceorthopaedic.co.uk
Today is the 10th anniversary of Brace Orthopaedic and I can’t think of a better way to spend the day than delivering over 1 tonne of donated orthopaedic braces and supports from the UK orthotics community to our Ukrainian friends for onward shipment to Lviv.
In the coming days they will complete their journey to my contact in the emergency medical sector in Ukraine. From there, they will be distributed across the country dependent on specific need.
Since my first post on this subject, it has been incredible to witness the generosity of fellow bracing companies, service providers, individual hospital clinics and orthotists alike. This is our Orthotics industry at its very best and it makes me proud to be a part of it.
I am also incredibly grateful to my team at Brace Orthopaedic who have given up huge amounts of their own time to process and administer this constant flow of donations, before preparing them for onward shipment.
I have many more promises of further donations to come and of course it unfortunately looks like there will be a need for some time yet. So as long as I am receiving donations, Brace Orthopaedic will continue to facilitate their delivery to Ukraine.
For the last ten days I have watched in horror the events in Ukraine and felt largely helpless. Like many others I am finding it hard to focus on day-to-day work whilst watching this humanitarian crisis unfold.
It has been humbling to see the response of those countries bordering Ukraine and the way in which they are responding to the needs of tens of thousands of refugees. Offering shelter, food, both medical and psychological help, as well as transport to accommodation in ordinary people’s homes.
On a practical level it was apparent Ukraine would have a need for all medical related products and of course medical devices. I have utilised my European network to make contact with a major hospital in Ukraine and they have confirmed they need all forms of trauma related orthopaedic braces, splints and supports for all body parts. These products can be taken to Poland and handed over for onward transportation to Ukraine.
I am putting together a contribution of those relevant trauma related products in the Brace Orthopaedic portfolio, but can also facilitate donations from those within our UK Orthotics industry who wish to contribute appropriate devices.
As an industry Orthotics has traditionally been incredibly wasteful, with little regard for the environment. Quite rightly that is now changing, with companies focussing on the issues that surround sustainability both from an ethical standpoint and for commercial reasons.
Over the last few years, we have taken inspiration from companies like MAG Orthotics and worked really hard to make Brace Orthopaedic a more sustainable business.
We have engaged directly with our manufacturing partners in this respect and as a result have made significant developments in reducing unwanted, ‘bad’ or excess packaging. (I will go into more detail on this topic in a future post.)
Waste has also reduced noticeably, as we have got smarter at recycling and now send hardly anything to landfill.
However, the biggest single area where I felt we could impact sustainability was our carbon footprint, through analysis of the products and processes used to import the devices we distribute here in the UK, but which come from our manufacturing partners around the world.
The focus initially had to be on those products that travelled the furthest to reach us. We then had to really challenge ourselves in this respect and ask for each product – Does it offer a unique benefit to both the clinician and patient, so making it essential to maintain in our product portfolio? If not, then we have made the tough decision to stop supplying it, as we could not justify the product over the environment.
We have also looked at how these goods are shipped to us and specifically the mode of transport and the packaging involved in the shipments. This revealed many opportunities to make improvements. However, in this respect Brexit has had a negative effect, with longer lead times for delivery, greater administration and increased costs, but also the required addition of covering paperwork to the outside of every box. Multiplied over all imports to the UK, this must have created a mountain of waste that never previously existed!
In summary, we are now down to importing just one product from the southern hemisphere. Air freight now accounts for only 9% of our imports, whilst 91% come by road freight and are sourced directly from across mainland Europe.
The sustainability process never stops and of course we are still learning. We don’t get everything right, but we are definitely heading in the right direction…….
If you would like to learn more about Brace Orthopaedic’s range of innovative orthoses or indeed arrange a product demonstration, then please contact Customer Services on 0191 258 8944 where Cathryn or Iain would be delighted to help. Alternatively, please visit our website at www.braceorthopaedic.co.uk
A lot has changed in terms of the way we work as a result of the Covid pandemic. Some of these changes have been beneficial and others less so.
Many sales people within our industry were furloughed for a long time, which then developed into extended periods of isolation working from home. For some this has become the norm, with much rarer outings into the field. Although necessary at times, I am not convinced this is good in the long run, as we are social creatures by nature and need that real life contact with others. Especially when this critical role is all about building a close network.
For a company like Brace Orthopaedic that specialises in distributing more innovative and technical orthopaedic braces, we also found that the medium of sales presentation through webinar just didn’t suit our products. In my opinion there is no substitute for a face-to-face meeting, with clinicians getting ‘hands on’ the product and going through its intricacies, whilst also having the opportunity to ask spontaneous questions.
Developing this theme, I think there has been a real evolution over the last few years in the role of what has historically been termed a ‘sales representative’. I have never liked this title, as I believe for those that carry out this role to its full potential, they are just so much more than ‘order prompters and takers’.
Sales people have come under the spotlight during the pandemic, as all businesses have had time to truly asses the value and role of these people. The result of that multi layered analysis has been that some individuals have looked for a career change, whilst some companies have come to the conclusion that product presentations through online platforms mean that this traditional role has become a luxury and so can reduce their head count and costs as a result.
Personally, I see high quality people in these roles as absolutely invaluable to a business like mine. I have ensured that my external team have stayed as involved as possible throughout the pandemic and been instrumental in strategizing our plans as the market opened up again.
More importantly, I have never considered my external team as sales representatives, but more as clinical educators. Our portfolio of unique products is deliberately smaller, as I would prefer to offer clinicians products that offer something innovative and different to consider as part of their clinical practice. We will always seek to add value to the Orthotics proposition. It is therefore vital that both my internal and external teams know every detail regarding features & function and should be equally comfortable presenting this information in person or over the phone – a real skill.
I have seen this trend growing over recent times and as a tight knit industry I am delighted to see so many high-quality individuals delivering this role for their respective companies. I would go as far to say that many of our orthotic product distributor friends in the industry have moved their sales teams far more towards clinical education.
I think the days of the bracing ‘catalogue companies’, with vast product ranges promoted by sales representatives who only truly know the inner details of a fraction of these products are over. Long live the clinical educator……
If you would like to learn more about Brace Orthopaedic’s range of innovative orthoses or indeed arrange a product demonstration, then please contact Customer Services on 0191 258 8944 where Cathryn or Iain would be delighted to help. Alternatively, please visit our website at www.braceorthopaedic.co.uk
Brace Orthopaedic are proud to sponsor the Malvern Diabetic Foot Conference, taking place at the Abbey Hotel this 7th– 9th July and in the year it celebrates its 35th anniversary.
This is a 3-day multidisciplinary team foot conference, which brings together Physicians, Surgeons, Podiatrists, Orthotists and nursing staff with a common interest in the diabetic foot.
“We were not only excited to attend our first conference and exhibition in a very long time, but also launch the prestigious Fior & Gentz Diabetes and Post-Op Therapy Footwear ranges at such a major international event. This newly acquired innovative range of footwear products was added to the Brace Orthopaedic portfolio during the global pandemic and whilst virtual meetings have been useful as an interim measure to stay in contact with our customers, we have been delighted to get the opportunity to start engaging face to face once again,” explained Gary Barrett, National Sales Manager.
The clinicians we are meeting have been hugely enthusiastic about the Fior & Gentz products and appreciate being able to touch, feel and wear the shoes. They appear particularly impressed by the high quality of manufacturing, which ensures optimum protection of the diabetic foot. This has been continually enhanced by Fior & Gentz over the last 25 years.
Alex Falkonakis, Clinical Sales Manager at Brace Orthopaedic has reported receiving a lot of positive feedback from clinicians particularly interested in the clinical benefits of the Fior and Gentz footwear, which sets it apart from the competition. Specifically, the rigid rocker soles provide enhanced biomechanical control, the straps which secure the foot in position to eliminate shear stresses and the high-quality EVA insoles and concealed stitching which provide a good interface between the shoe upper and the skin.
Despite the challenges of hosting a major Healthcare Conference in the midst of a global pandemic, we would like to congratulate Maggie and her colleagues for organising an impressive programme of international speakers and conducting the whole 3-day event in a welcoming, professional and Covid safe manner. We look forward to supporting the Malvern Diabetic Foot Conference again.
If you would like to hear more about Brace Orthopaedic’s range of services, please call Customer Services on 0191 258 8944 where Cathryn or Iain would be delighted to help. Alternatively, please visit our website at www.braceorthopaedic.co.uk
For many years I have longed to incorporate the Fior & Gentz Diabetes and Post-Op Therapy Footwear range into the Brace Orthopaedic portfolio. They are such a natural fit, as these shoe options are the ‘gold standard’ and offer a range of innovative styles to cover all clinical requirements for these particular patient groups.
This position finally came to fruition over the last year and although the pandemic has not afforded us the opportunity of a major formal launch, we have slowly introduced these product lines to our customer network, to universal approval.
Now we finally have the opportunity to get back out face to face with clinical colleagues and so are looking forward to presenting these shoes to the delegates attending the Malvern Diabetic Foot Conference this week.
Ahead of this, I thought I would ask a clinical colleague why he thought the availability of the Fior & Gentz products through Brace Orthopaedic to Orthotists, Podiatrists and other allied healthcare professional was such an important development.
His response –
As an Orthotist of many years practice, the use of temporary footwear, i.e. post op type shoes as a “one size fits all!” practice simply mystifies me. For the majority of my practice, I have worked in centres where I have dealt with Trauma & Orthopaedic patients pre and post-operative rehabilitation and also diabetic foot care patients. What is required is control, offloading pressure, functionality, accessibility, change in volume to allow bandages and dressings, together with cost effectiveness. I cannot get this with the groups of patients I treat with one type of temporary shoe.
When a patient is assessed for footwear, there are so many variables that an Orthotist will use in his or her prescription, whether they are issuing stock or bespoke footwear. So why do we fail to apply the same criteria when we supply temporary/therapeutic footwear. Some centres use nothing more than a simple post op shoe with dressings and expect the foot to heel, if however, the correct temporary/therapeutic shoe was chosen then this can aid healing and also the transition back into footwear, improve gait and mobility, reduce clinic visits and improve outcomes.
I became aware of the Fior & Gentz range of therapeutic footwear several years ago and what they offer is and extensive choice of footwear and styles with specific ranges aimed at Diabetic and Trauma & Orthopaedic patients, though it does not mean that you cannot successfully cross over and use a trauma footwear on a diabetic foot or vice versa. It was the quality of the footwear that drew me to them, the seamless upper construction, the use of adjustable fastening systems that hold the heel in the rear of the shoe preventing slipping and the stiffened rocker sole units that initially grabbed my attention. The range has great durability and most importantly patients like them and comply with them. They can equally be used for short and/or medium term usage.
A couple of case studies came to mind.
Case Study 1 – Diabetic
A diabetic patient with partial forefoot amputation, slow granulation and healing, where access was required by the Podiatrist and nursing teams for wound check/dressing change. Post-surgery the patient had been mobilising in a forefoot offloading shoe, however they felt unstable and insecure as the reverse heel wedge meant they felt off balance. Initially an Amsterdam [note: not described as a Diabetic shoe] was used. Volume was adjustable due to fastening system. Open toe design to ensure no pressure on the toes. Good control of the foot in the shoe due to the heel straps. The 30mm rigid rocker sole unit ensures no movement at the forefoot, meaning no need for a forefoot off loader, therefore the patient feels stable and secure with improved mobility and healing. Patient further progressed to the use of the Dresden boot, with custom made total contact insoles. Again, this footwear has a 30mm rigid rocker sole unit, preventing flexion of the metatarsophalangeal joint, providing stability and immobilising these joints. In fact, the patient is so happy with progress that they are reluctant to transfer into leather shoes and TCI’S and continues to use the Dresden/TCI combination.
Case Study 2 – T & O
The Trust where I worked recently has an Iilizarov frames clinic, where the MDT were looking for footwear that could be used to mobilise patients. The issue was how to accommodate the pins and frame in the footwear, which also incorporated a rocker sole unit to aid walking with a fixed ankle. The Regensburg shoe was used, as its design has additional seams in the ankle area that can be trimmed to accommodate the frame and pins.
It is really good to hear the experiences of this Senior Orthotist and to see how the Fior & Gentz Therapy Footwear options offer so many solutions for our clinical colleagues.
We have already brought many of these lines into stock and made them available on a next day basis and we intend to have all styles available as a next day delivery by the end of this financial year. In the meantime if you have an interest in the Fior & Gentz Therapy Footwear range and would like to discuss this in more detail with one of our team, please do not hesitate to contact Customer Services on 0191 258 8944 where Cathryn or Iain would be delighted to help. Alternatively, please visit our website at www.braceorthopaedic.co.uk
It is over twelve months now since the beginning of the Coronavirus pandemic. Whilst we have gained a better understanding of the virus, treatments and introduction of vaccines, the healthcare community are still learning about the long-term effects of the virus. This is being seen in large numbers of Covid sufferers, which in some cases includes the need for complex rehabilitation.
Patients are presenting with symptoms not unlike neurological conditions. Covid 19 patients and in particular those long lie patients in intensive care quickly loose muscle bulk as they atrophy, which renders the individual incredibly weak when rehabilitation commences. The other concern is the associated loss of range of motion (ROM) and particularly the ankle joint. If the ROM is restricted beyond 90 degrees, this compounds the effects of muscle weakness and efforts to walk.
At Brace Orthopaedic we believe we can offer a device which might have significant benefits for some of these patients. The CDS (Controlled Dynamic Stretch) Ankle Brace has been used for the treatment for neurological conditions within the NHS, such as Duchenne muscular dystrophy or stroke, where joint contracture is a threat. Features of the CDS Ankle Brace include the ability to fine tune the spring tension force and turn it off and on, fine adjustment of the range of movement (ROM) and easy individual adjustment of shells and straps. It works by applying an adjustable dynamic stretch to the soft tissues by the means of medial and lateral spring-loaded ankle hinges, offering a dorsiflexion-assist force. These can be fully adjusted to suit the needs of the individual, so protecting and not overstretching the soft tissue.
The CDS Ankle Brace can be used from the onset within an intensive care setting when reduced ROM is noticed, equally the use can be commenced in the “step down-ward” or rehabilitation setting. The aim is to commence treatment with lower spring tension to introduce dynamic stretch and increase as treatment/tolerance continues. The initial minimum wear time should be for 30 minutes to 2 hours, but they can be worn for longer periods. One further advantage for the patient is that, as rehabilitation progresses, the CDS Ankle Brace has an ambulatory sole unit for continued indoor use. This can help both with maintaining/ improving the dorsiflexion ROM when the patient is sedentary (with the knee extended) and also with assisting the weak/ paretic dorsiflexors during gait, prior to switching to a conventional Ankle Foot Orthoses (if required).
If you would like to learn more about Brace Orthopaedic’s range of innovative orthoses or indeed arrange a product demonstration, then please contact Customer Services on 0191 258 8944 where Cathryn or Iain would be delighted to help. Alternatively, please visit our website at www.braceorthopaedic.co.uk
