Physical Therapy

Buying advice

Separate capital equipment from personal prescriptions

This page mixes equipment your service owns with a component prescribed to one person. DIEGO, KineAssist and LifeWalker would sit on your asset register, shared across many patients and maintained by your team or the maker. The Ossur Rheo Knee becomes part of an individual's prosthesis, so the purchase normally runs through the prosthetics service that assesses, fits and reviews it. The WHO standards for prosthetics and orthotics set out how such services should be organised and are a useful checklist when you commission one. Keep the two budgets, approval routes and warranty records apart so that neither holds up the other.

Turning quote-only listings into firm prices

In October 2026, you could see listed prices as low as about $70,000 for the DIEGO (Tyromotion) and as high as about $85,000 for the KineAssist (HDT), and two more needed a quote. A good quote request names the setting, the patient groups you expect to treat and the delivery address, and asks for installation, commissioning and first-year servicing as separate lines. For the knee, ask whether the price covers the component alone or also programming tools, a charger and the prosthetist's adjustment visits. Ask too how long the quoted price is held, because capital approval in many hospitals outlasts a standard quote's validity.

Agree who maintains it after installation

Therapy-room systems with motors and electronics need a clear owner for daily checks, cleaning between patients and periodic electrical safety testing. Ask each maker which parts your staff may replace, which need a visiting engineer, and whether your medical engineering team can be trained for first-line repairs. IEC 80601-2-78:2019 covers the safety of rehabilitation robots that physically interact with patients, so request the test report reference along with the user manual. Name an owner on each shift before delivery, because an idle device usually points to a gap in training rather than a fault in the machine.

What to look for

• The patient groups and therapy goals the maker designs it for
• Space, power and installation needs in your therapy room
• For prosthetic components, fitting and follow-up through a qualified prosthetist

Common questions

Can I buy a prosthetic knee without a clinician?

Prosthetic components are fitted and adjusted by a qualified prosthetist. Speak with your clinic first, as they can advise on suitability, fitting and follow-up.

What is body-weight-supported training?

A harness system carries part of the user's weight so they can practise standing, balance and walking under less load, with the therapist working alongside.

Sources and further reading

• WHO standards for prosthetics and orthotics — World Health Organization.
  WHO standards for organising prosthetics and orthotics services, with an implementation manual for health systems.
• IEC 80601-2-78:2019 Medical robots for rehabilitation, assessment, compensation or alleviation — ISO / IEC.
  Safety and essential-performance requirements for medical robots that physically assist patients in rehabilitation.
• Assistive technology fact sheet — World Health Organization.
  WHO facts on who needs assistive products, the access gap between countries and the policy steps WHO recommends.