Marodyne LiV offers new scope for musculoskeletal healthcare
Marodyne is a new, medically-approved device that uses low-intensity vibration (LiV) to help redevelop bone and muscle tissue, restore postural control and improve balance and mobility. Approved for therapeutic use in the UK, Marodyne has been clinically proven to deliver safe, gentle and consistent vertical vibrations to help restore motion to joints, redevelop muscles, facilitate bone healing, increase bone mineral density, prevent and reverse the complications of osteoporosis (1).
Marodyne is the only low-intensity vibration solution for patients that is backed by decades of preclinical and clinical trials, supported by a leading Scientific Advisory Board and considered safe by OSHA and ISO Standards. It is certified as a class 2a medical device under the Medical Device Directive 93/42/ EEC Annex II and is the only LiV or WBV (Whole Body Vibration) device in the world to meet the standards set in ISO 2631 for mechanical vibration. Weighing 8.6kg and measuring H5.1cm x W45.7cm x D35.6cm the Marodyne device is portable and enables practitioners to move it around their clinic or take to a patient’s home or bedside. Short therapy units with Marodyne LiV of 10 minutes and at the same time small space requirement extend the treatment spectrum in therapeutic facilities.
Easy to use
Marodyne has no contraindications and delivers a gentle motion and is easy to use, making it accessible to everyone able to stand with their feet resting on the plate including: children, the elderly, de-conditioned and recuperating individuals and disabled people.
Patients simply stand on the Marodyne platform while its ‘smart’ technology automatically adjusts to their weight, mass, movement and balance to deliver even and optimal cycles at 30 contractions per second. Marodyne uses a microprocessor to control sound waves that output 0.4g acceleration to any user: the closed loop feedback constantly monitors acceleration and will adjust displacement to maintain acceleration at 0.4g.
Marodyne LiV can boost the care given by a wide range of medical practitioners including chiropractors, occupational health advisers, orthopaedic surgeons, osteopaths, podiatrists, physiotherapists and rehabilitation experts. Key clinically-approved indications for Marodyne LiV include:
Osteoporosis, Osteopenia, Post-Cancer Bone Loss
Marodyne LiV offers a safe and effective treatment of osteoporosis and osteopenia by maintaining and increasing bone mineral density (BMD), speeding up bone healing, and increasing the quality of fracture repair (2). Marodyne LiV works by precisely mimicking the small high frequency forces exerted by muscles onto the bone, providing a safe and effective treatment without any known contra-indications or side effects. The gentle, non-invasive process means that children and adults who have experienced bone loss through cancer or its treatment can also benefit from using Marodyne LiV, even if they are very weak during chemo- or radiation therapy.
Falls Prevention
Marodyne LiV stimulates and restores the dynamic action of muscle fibres in the legs which help to improve balance, postural reflexes (control) and co-ordination. This increased activity in the leg muscles has been shown to improve muscle strength and stimulate new muscle to grow. Low-intensity vibration signals also have been shown to preserve stability, even when challenged by extended bedrest. Marodyne LiV fits very well within a falls prevention programme as the treatment is safe and accessible to unconditioned people.
Active Aging
Decreases in postural muscle activity in the elderly have a negative effect on blood circulation, lymphatic flow, flexibility and general fitness. Research (3) has shown that Marodyne LiV stimulates blood circulation and lymphatic flow and its muscle stimulating activity helps maintain leg strength. This, in turn, enables older people to maintain mobility, flexibility and retain their independence.
Rehabilitation
LiV research has been conducted in hospitals, rehabilitation centres and universities around the world. It has shown to offer safe and effective, drug-free therapy to strengthen and recondition muscles during rehab. It can further assist patients recovering from bone surgery and bone conditions by decreasing their recovery time and increasing the speed of wound healing. It is particularly recommended for orthopaedic patients recovering from hip/knee arthroplasty, spine surgery and/or hip fractures.
References in support of low-intensity vibration in bone health, muscle health and postural control
- Musculoskeletal Health:Pagnotti G M, Styner M , Uzer G, Patel VS, Wright LE, Ness KK, Guise TA, Rubin J, Rubin C: Combating osteoporosis and obesity with exercise: leveraging cell mechanosensitivity.
Nature Reviews Endocrinology (2019)Muir J, Judex S, Qin YX, Rubin C: Postural instability caused by extended bed rest is alleviated by brief daily exposure to low magnitude mechanical signals. Gait & Posture (2011)
Kiel D, Hannan M, Barton B, Bouxsein M, Sisson E, Lang T, Allaire B, Dewkett D, Carroll D, Magaziner J, Shane E, Leary E, Zimmerman S, Rubin C: Low-magnitude mechanical stimulation to Improve bone density in persons of advanced age: a randomized, placebo-controlled trial. Journal of Bone and Mineral Research (2015)Muir J, Kiel D, Rubin C: Safety and severity of accelerations delivered from whole body vibration exercise devices to standing adults. Journal of Science and Medicine in Sport (2013)
- Osteoporosis, Bone Loss in Children:
Rubin C, Recker R, Cullen D, Ryaby J, McCabe J, McLeod K: Prevention of postmenopausal bone loss by a low-magnitude, high-frequency mechanical stimuli: a clinical trial assessing compliance, efficacy, and safety. Journal of Bone and Mineral Research 19, 343-351 (2004)Kiel D, Hannan MT, Barton BA, Bouxsein ML, Sisson E, Lang T, Allaire B, Dewkett D, Carroll D, Magaziner J, Shane E, Leary ET, Zimmerman S: Low-Magnitude Mechanical Stimulation to Improve Bone Density in Persons of Advanced Age: A Randomized, Placebo-Controlled Trial. Journal of Bone and Mineral Research: the offi cial journal of the American Society for Bone and Mineral Research 30, 1319-1328, doi:10.1002/jbmr.2448 (2015)Ness K, Mogil R, Scobey K, Karlage R, Kaste: The effects of low magnitude high frequency mechanical stimulation (LMS) on bone density in childhood cancer survivors (CCS). APTA CSM Oral Paper (2015)
Gilsanz V, Wren TA, Sanchez M, Dorey F, Judex S, Rubin C: High-frequency mechanical signals enhance musculoskeletal development of young women with low BMD. Journal of Bone and Mineral Research 21, 1464-1474 (2006)
Hannan M, Marian T, Cheng DM, Green E, Swift C, Rubin C, Kiel D; Establishing the compliance in elderly women for use of a low level mechanical stress device in a clinical osteoporosis study. Osteoporosis International 15, 918-926, doi:10.1007/s00198-004-1637-y (2004).
Muir J, Kiel, Rubin C: Safety and severity of accelerations delivered from whole body vibration exercise devices to standing adults. Journal of science and medicine in sport / Sports Medicine Australia, doi:10.1016/j.jsams.2013.01.004 (2013)
Jones H, Priest J, Hayes W, Tichenor C, Nagel D 1977 Humeral hypertrophy in response to exercise. J Bone J Surg Am 59:204–208.
- Active AgingLeung KS, Li CY, Tse YK, Choy TK, Leung PC, Hung VW, Chan SY, Leung AH, Cheung WH: Effects of 18-month low-magnitude high-frequency vibration on fall rate and fracture risks in 710 community elderly – a cluster-randomized controlled trial. Osteoporosis International (2014)
Kiel DP, Hannan MT, Rubin CT et al.: Low-Magnitude Mechanical Stimulation to Improve Bone Density in Persons of Advanced Age. A Randomized, Placebo-Controlled Trial. JBMR 2015 Jul;30(7):1319-28
Engin Ozcivici, Janet Rubin, Stefan Judex, Clinton T. Rubin et al.: Mechanical signals as anabolic agents in bone. Nature Reviews Rheumatology 6, 50-59, 2009 (January 2010)
Stewart J, Karman C, Montgomery L, McLeod K: Regulatory, integrative and comparative physiology. Plantar vibration improves leg fluid flow in perimenopausal women. American journal of physiology (2005)
Rubin CT et al: Quantity and Quality of Trabecular Bone in the Femur Are Enhanced by a Strongly Anabolic, Noninvasive Mechanical Intervention. J Bone Miner Res. 2002
Leung, KS; Cheung, WH et. al: Low-Magnitude, High-Frequency Vibration Enhances Fracture Healing and Rehabilitation in Elderly with Intertrochanteric Fractures, 2011 ORS Annual Meeting. Long Beach, CA, USA. Jan 13-16, 2011. Podium presentation