We had our appointment today. This orthotic place had both the walkaide and the bioness. They prefer the bioness from what they have seen so far. They have had more experience with the walkaide. We tried them both out.

The bioness was first. It works by sensing that weight has been removed from the left (weak) leg and points the toe up so that you can easily move the leg. I supported William's left side while he walked. He did quite well. The only drawback is cost. $6,100 and $200.00 for the pads that would be every 3 months.

The walkaid is about $1,000 cheaper. The pads cost $300.00 every 3 months. The walkaid would not work for William because his gait is not good enough for that. You have to have walking steps that are consistently about the same. This works by sensing the angle of the leg. At a certain angle it will pick up the toe when you pick up the leg.

They told me that there are no codes for billing and therefore insurance does not pay. They still consider this exerimental.

I am going to do some more research before I decide to ask the MD for a prescription for the bioness.