The Paladin brace is $500, and comes with complimentary Ground shipping in the continental US! Fabrication of a Paladin brace takes 5-7 OrthoPets business days to complete once an order is received; OrthoPets business days are Monday through Thursday.
The Paladin Brace is designed to facilitate internal stabilization of CrCL insufficiency through the rebalancing of hamstring activation during gait.
Placing control over the tarsus to treat Cranial Cruciate Disease of the stifle may seem counterintuitive, however, there is a significant clinical background and biomechanical rationale to support this unique form of intervention. By maintaining the tarsus in extension, the working length of the gastrocnemius muscle group is shortened. Dogs are hypothesized to adaptively learn to favor the hamstring muscles over the gastrocnemius muscles to counterbalance the force of the Quads in controlling forces acting against the deficient stifle joint, which results in tibial thrust.
The Paladin brace is designed to be customized by the veterinarian to each individual patient for the best fit. The neoprene liners (main and front) will need to be trimmed, and heat adjustments for pressure relief, brace height/length customization, etc. may be needed to achieve a comfortable and functional fit.
A heat gun can be used to heat the Woodcast material for adjustment, and cold spray can be used to cool the brace down once the adjustments have been made. Please refer to this link for fitting and adjustments videos & other helpful resources.
The Paladin™ Brace is designed to be worn 24 hours a day, 7 days a week, with only brief, non-weight-bearing air breaks for 8 consecutive weeks**.
To achieve the intended intervention, apply the Paladin™ Brace according to the required fitting instructions every time.
Recommended Veterinary Visits:
A prosthetic sock or other form of protection, +/- a pet-safe anti-friction powder can be utilized to help prevent friction sores. The hard shell of the Paladin brace is waterproof, and the neoprene liners can be washed with mild soap and warm water, and air dried. DO NOT heat dry the neoprene or hard shell of the brace. The velcro straps can be cleaned of hair and debris with a velcro cleaning tool or metal pick.
Tread wear is not uncommon for some patients, depending on levels and types of activities they are doing in the brace as well as types of surfaces the patient is using the brace on or how long they are using it.
We can sell and ship extra tread pieces to replace worn tread as needed. The cost per tread piece is $10 + shipping. Shipping charges will vary based on your location.
The tread comes pre-cut to size with pre-beveled edges and with a single layer of contact adhesive already applied. You could also potentially remove, rotate, and re-install the current tread if the top half is not worn.
Use acetone sparingly to remove the worn tread from the brace, starting with small amounts along seams and edges of the tread and gently pulling the tread away from the brace as the acetone loosens the glue. Be sure to wipe up any excess acetone. Be sure the brace is completely dried/free of acetone before installing the new tread.
To install new tread:
Apply contact adhesive to the brace and to the tread - we recommend Barge glue - and allow the glue to dry long enough to at least become tacky. You may want to apply two layers of adhesive to the current tread if you will be reusing it – apply the first layer and allow it to dry completely before applying the second layer, then allow it to dry long enough to become tacky.
Using a heat gun (or other heat source such as a blow dryer), lightly heat both the brace and the tread to activate the adhesive, and then apply the tread to the brace. Gently press and mold the tread to the brace to ensure full contact/coverage and minimize gapping along the edges of the tread.
Fit media:
OrthoPets recommends submitting fitting media:
Upload fitting media at https://www.orthopets.com/file-mail
*Please note: We do not carry a brace size for Paladin that can accommodate patients who measure 21cm or greater.
OrthoPets contact:
Erica Beverlin, RVT
Senior VOP Specialist
info@orthopets.com
Office hours: Monday – Thursday, 9am – 5pm MST (Denver, CO)
**Additional info for the vet:
Success with the Paladin treatment is defined by patient comfort, stifle stability, and a stabilized tibia. You may still appreciate a little drawer with manual manipulation, but should not observe tibial thrust or rotation during gait.
With the 24/7 brace wear schedule, we expect the treatment to last 2 months. We are finding that many vets prefer to break their patients into the Paladin brace (similar to an orthotic break in schedule), building up to the 24/7 wear schedule, and then starting the two week treatment once the pet is comfortable in the brace 24/7. Other vets have catered the wear schedule to their patient’s and owner’s unique needs/schedules/tolerances/etc as well.
Some veterinarians like to gradually taper their patient out of the Paladin brace once the desired muscle reprogramming and stifle stabilization is achieve, and/or have the owner use the device for sport bracing, which is using the brace during times of higher or more intense activity, and then off the rest of the time.
You can keep your patients in the brace as long as you feel is needed for the desired results, considering patient tolerance, owner compliance, durability of the brace, etc.
We encourage customizing the treatment plan and wear schedule for your patients to help achieve the best outcome, and just want to make sure and acknowledge that the treatment time may take longer than the standard two months for patients that are not doing the 24/7 wear schedule or if patients are allowed to bear weight on the affected leg out of the brace.