VQ OrthoCare Unveils “The Better Knee Guarantee” on the BioniCare Treatment System

Irvine, CA, May 27, 2010 --(PR.com)-- Over 450,000 total knee arthroplasties (TKA’s) are performed each year in the United States at a cost of over $15 billion¹. The BioniCare Knee System has offered over 80,000 patients a cost-effective alternative to TKA and now, VQ OrthoCare is proud to announce “The Better Knee Guarantee.” The limited guarantee assures insurance payors that any patient who is treated with the BioniCare Knee System will not require a TKA within a four year period after the date of the original prescription for BioniCare. If a TKA is required during this period, the total amounts paid for the BioniCare Knee System, knee brace and supplies will be refunded to the insurance payor of record.

VQ OrthoCare’s BioniCare System is the first non-invasive, non-pharmaceutical, non-surgical treatment option for osteoarthritis of the knee. It delivers a low-level pulsed electrical signal to the knee through two electrodes held in place on the inside of a joint unloading brace, developed specifically to treat osteoarthritis by mimicking the naturally occurring signal present in a healthy knee joint. A Johns Hopkins University Medical Center study found that 62% patients who averaged 11 months of treatment on BioniCare were able to avoid a TKA during the four years following the completion of treatment, as compared to only 7% of the matched control group².

“While some BioniCare patients defer a TKA entirely, this risk-free program is an opportunity for insurance payors to see how successful BioniCare can be for the patient after completion of treatment, and for years following,” said Jim Knape, president and founder, VQ OrthoCare. ”Due to the efficacy of this treatment, we believe that the adoption of the BioniCare Knee System into standard osteoarthritis treatment protocols would save our healthcare system a minimum of $3.1 billion annually.”

For more information about the BioniCare Knee System and the BioniCare Better Knee Guarantee eligibility, conditions and limitations, and claim submission process, visit www.BioniCare.com or call the Payor Relations Department at (800) 266-6699.

About VQ OrthoCare:
Founded in 1989 and based in Irvine, California, VQ OrthoCare is a leading manufacturer and provider of non-invasive medical solutions focused on bone, joint and soft-tissue conditions. VQ OrthoCare's commitment to treating patients with respect and supporting them in achieving optimum outcomes is unmatched in the industry. Services include in-home patient fitting of braces and medical devices, and technology-enabled compliance monitoring. VQ OrthoCare’s orthopedic products include: Surgi-Stim4, Ortho-Stim4, Fast Start EMS, Fast Start HVPC, VQ Vector, Biotens, and the OActive Knee Brace and BioniCare System. VQ OrthoCare is registered with the U.S. Food and Drug Administration as a medical device manufacturer and specification developer. For more information, visit www.VQOrthoCare.com or call (800) 452-7993.

¹ Ilfed BR, Mariano ER, et al. “Hospitalization costs of total knee arthroplasty with a continuous femoral nerve block provided only in the hospital versus on an ambulatory basis: a retrospective, case-control, cost-minimization analysis.” Reg Anesth Pain Med. 2007 Jan-Feb; 32(1):46-54

2 Mont MM, Hungerford DS, et.al. “Pulsed Electrical Stimulation to Defer TKA in Patients with Knee Osteoarthritis.” Orthopedics. October 2006 (10): 887-889.

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