Just had a 3 level acdf surgery 1 week ago / surgeon prescribed using the ortho fix bone stimulator. Was wondering if anyone has used it and their thoughts on it ?

You might find some informational posts on the spinal stim by using the search tool..

I had C2-C7,T1 posterior fusion and lamni Sept 2013. The doctor sent an Orthofix rep to my house because I was told to wear the bone growth neck stimulator.

I am not making any comment on whether or not the Orthofix bone stimulator works or not because I do not know. I wore mine as instructed following my surgery and I do not know if I have any fusion because my doctor won't say yes or no.

Please "Google" Orthofix and read the class action lawsuit that they lost in Massachusetts (they are involved in many other lawsuits at present). The big issues in that suit were that they didn't let you know you can rent the unit - one size fits all, they committed fraud against Medicare and they tell you that Medicare covers the cost of the new unit and you won't have to pay anything or only a small co pay like $20.00 and then 6 months later you receive a bill for $900.00.

I asked about renting a unit and was told that everyone gets a new unit. I kept talking about it because it didn't make any sense to me especially since I would only have it for the 6 months I was told to wear it and then what - where do I send it etc. The Orthofix rep kept telling me everyone gets a new one.

The next thing that he said is that Medicare pays for all of it. I told him I only had Medicare no alternative insurance or even an add on to Medicare and he said no problem. Medicare pays for all of it.

I could not believe it when I received a bill showing that Medicare was billed $5,000.00 for the unit and they paid $3,000.00. I was supposed to pay $900.00. I never paid it.

So, whatever you do, please research orthofix and be prepared for the bill. I got a lawyer and he said that Orthofix was a bad company, he called them thieves, and he told me just to not pay the bill (I always pay my bills, this one I did not pay).

I received two letters from Orthofix regarding my bill, I talked to my doctor's office about the class action lawsuits and the other lawsuits they are involved in (Orthofix) and told them what had happened to me and I never received another notice about paying the bill from Orthofix.

The reason I talked to my doctor's office was that they sent Orthofix to my house. I had no say in the matter. I thought they should know who they are doing business with.

I am not suggesting that you don't wear the bone stimulator - I think you should do whatever your doctor tells you. Be knowledgeable regarding Orthofix and ask your doctor if you can use another medical outfit to obtain the bone stimulator.

If you are in Wisconsin I can give you mine.

Kelli

Hadn't heard of that particular device...we are dealing with getting a bone stimulator for my daughter's non-healing fracture injury. The winner seems to be an Exogen unit from Smith and Nephew....for our issues, it seems to kick-butt on it's competitors. Might want to look at that one...

I wore the Orthofix Bone Growth Stimulator in 2004 and again in 2006. I have to say the first model was huge and uncomfortable. The second model was more like a necklace and I managed very well. Each time I had to wear it 4 hours a day every day for 6 months. That was easy enough because I took it to work with me and by Noon I was done wearing it for the day. And even though I was fusing at 3 months my Neurosurgeon wanted to see a "solid" fusion hence the 6 month mark. I swear by them and my insurance, BC/BS, covered the entire cost both times.

Just talked to the Exogen rep today....sounds like they don't have a spinal unit yet

I was prescribed an Ortho fix after my fusion. My surgeon insisted on it. I used it as prescribed and I healed well. I think that it may make us heal faster but I also think that I would've healed without it, but I'm not a professional so I don't know! The Ortho Fix uses pulsed electromagnetic field therapy (EMF) and that is something that I'm not okay with. Electromagnetic fields are dangerous and are believed to cause cancer. Google "EMF". I stay away from electric blankets and anything that plugs in at night. Daytime is harder. So I strapped on this machine that puts an EMF right into my body for 6 weeks or so lol! If I had to use one again I think I would refuse.

Hi Jstrey............

I had a 2 level ACDF in Dec 2011. I never even heard of a bone stimulator when I had my neck surgery so, I never used one!

I did use one when I had my 4 level Lumbar fusion ( DLIF) Dec 2013 that my surgeon ordered. It's called.........
DJO Global CMF Empi Spinalogic bone growth stimulator.

Their rep brought mine to me while I was still in the hospital and showed me how to use it. The charge to my insurance company was 5K and I had no out of pocket cost. I asked him what I do with it when I'm done using it which was wearing it for about 9 months or when all the batteries are used that came with it (10), I was to wear it for 30 minutes every day. It had a timer which made it easy. He said disposing of it is in the information book that came with it.

Weather or not it works I don't know & neither does my surgeon when I asked him. Then I asked, then how do we tell if I'm fused or not & he kind of blew me off. Then I asked if a CT Scan can show if I'm fused & he said yea & I asked if it's a better view he said maybe or yea...... so I never got a straight answer to this day.

I wish someone knew how to see if a fusion has fused???

Well, those are my thoughts. What are yours???

They are just sort of assumed to be fused unless proven otherwise. In patients with prolonged post-op pain, then sometime down the road, months later, the unmentionable thought (to your surgeon) would be delayed or non union for which a bone-stim unit might be thought of, therapeutically. All insurances are different but general terms are that delayed union occurs after 3 months and non union after 9 months. Understand that both terms are naughty to your surgeon and he won't be much interested in admitting that his perfect surgery could have such an outcome! Diagnostic studies that would suggest either would include a flexion/extension xray, dynamic fluoroscopy of the same to prove or disprove excessive motion (defined as any motion in a fusion-hence the definition) and CT to look for bony bridging across the prospective fusion site, however motion is NOT evaluated with CT. MRI is not generally of much, if any, value when looking for bony union. Hope this helps!