Unloader Knee Brace

 

Unloader knee braces biomechanically address knee OA pain by creating more space between the bones of the knee joint. Most often, unloader knee braces are prescribed for those with medial compartment knee osteoarthritis, which is arthritis that affects the inner portion of the knee. Knee braces are one way to provide stability, support, and pain relief for patients with knee osteoarthritis.

 

An unloader knee brace is designed to lessen the pain of osteoarthritis. It unloads stress from the affected area by putting pressure at three different points on the thigh bone. This action forces the knee to bend away from the painful area. It unloads or transfers pressure from the inside of the damaged knee to the outside of the knee. 

 

Essentially, an unloader knee brace transfers or "unloads" stress or pressure from the inside to outside part of the knee or vice versa.  In other words, an unloader knee brace does exactly what its name suggests—it unloads stress from the affected joint. 

 

 

IMS Experts carries a wide range of Knee Braces. Below are some of the different OA/ACL Knee Braces that we carry. 

 

 

 

 

 

An X-ray showing osteoarthritis of the knee. SMC Images/Getty Images

       Don Joy OA Lite

               L1851

Osteoarthritis: mild to moderate                            Movement: low to average impact                      Activities: walking, shopping, gardening, golf   

Average Medicare Reimbursement $865.95

       New Options OA 

                 L1851

Osteoarthritis: mild to moderate

Post Meniscal Repairs and

Post Micro-fracture surgery.

Average Medicare Reimbursement $865.95

         The Game Changer

                         L1851

   Highly functional low profile

   Superior Offloading 

   Universal Sizing

   Average Medicare Reimbursement $865.95

  OA Single Upright Knee Brace

                  L1851

 Mild to moderate

 Exceptionally light weight, low profile

 Compartmental off-loading and   

 Optimize pain relief.

 Average Medicare Reimbursement $865.95

Lenox Hill Precision Pro Knee Brace

                   L1852

Moderate to severe

ACL, PCL, MCL and LCL instabilities

Increase high impact activity

Delay knee surgery

Average Medicare Reimbursement $840.77

 

             SecuTec® Genu

                      L1852

Instabilities after rupturing the anterior and/or posterior cruciate ligament (ACL/PCL)

After ligament surgery/syndesmoplasty

Complex instabilities (traumatic, degenerative)

Average Medicare Reimbursement $840.77

​OA Knee Brace Medicare LCD for L1851 

• Beneficiary has had a recent injury or a surgical procedure on the knee(s), or

• Covered for a beneficiary who is ambulatory and has knee instability due to a condition specified in the ICD-10 Codes that Support Medical Necessity Group 4 Codes section.

• Knee instability must be documented by examination of the beneficiary and objective description of joint laxity (e.g., varus/valgus instability, anterior/posterior Drawer test).

 

Claims for OA Knee Brace L1851 will be denied as not reasonable and necessary when the beneficiary does not meet the above criteria for coverage. For example, they will be denied if only pain or a subjective description of joint instability is documented.

 

To view a complete list of ICD-10 codes covered click here.

 

Double Upright Knee Brace Medicare LCD for L1852

• Beneficiary has had a recent injury or a surgical procedure on the knee(s), or

• Covered for a beneficiary who is ambulatory and has knee instability due to a condition specified in the ICD-10 Codes that Support Medical Necessity Group 4 Codes section.

• Knee instability must be documented by examination of the beneficiary and objective description of joint laxity (e.g., varus/valgus instability, anterior/posterior Drawer test).

 

Claims for OA Knee Brace L1852 will be denied as not reasonable and necessary when the beneficiary does not meet the above criteria for coverage. For example, they will be denied if only pain or a subjective description of joint instability is documented.

 

To view a complete list of ICD-10 codes covered click here.