Once again 'Father Time' has marched toward the end of another year, at times dancing across our lawns with lightness, love and laughter, while other times it has trampled through the garden of sorrow, dragging its feet and creating furrows of sadness.

Yet, Time stops for no man, and as the New Year awaits in diapers and anticipation, the old year is looking over his shoulder at what has been accomplished.  Well, let me help old Father Time remember the most important, the most exciting, and the most long-awaited list of accomplishments this past year of 2012.

For the third year in a row, the world awaits the most exciting end-of-year list to be published this year.  Actors, heads of state, and moneyed men have been contacting me to give them an early peek at the Number One End-Of-Year List of all lists...Rehabmart's Top Ten Selling Medical Products of 2012!

But first, let's view some boring top ten lists that nobody really cares about.  The mundane stuff, things like entertainment and toys and junk like that.  So, let's first get through the chaff so we can get to the good grain of the Rehabmart list.

Time Entertainment Number One Album:  Fiona Apple, 'The Idler Wheel Is Wiser than the Driver of the Screw and Whipping Cords Will Serve You More than Ropes Will Ever Do'
"A magnificent meltdown from a songwriter who describes herself as "a tulip in a cup": catastrophic states of mind translated into unnervingly perky tunes and precisely turned phrases, polished until they gleam, then stripped to a skeleton, then polished again."  Yeah, sounds like a lot of fun.  There isn't anything better than listening to a magnificent meltdown from a singer's catastrophic state of mind to start off the day on a high note.

Squidoo.com Top 2012's Christmas Toy:  Lalaloopsy Dolls - The Most Popular 2012 Christmas Toy. 
"Lalaloopsy with wacky, wild hair that really bends
Hair allows you to curl, twist, and straighten
Includes fun hair styling brush, 4 clips and 6 hair beads
Endless silly styles
Pet has matching bendable tail"
I already have wacky, wild hair which I have to mess with each morning and if I want to see endless silly styles, I just won't do anything to my hair and just see what happens to it.  Also my pet's tail bends too, big deal.

Esquire's Top TV Show for Men:  The Colbert Report from Comedy Central 
"That's the show in a nutshell: He puts himself into that character with every cell of his body, right on down to the hair. The Colbert Report is the longest-running performance-art piece on TV right now."  What?  He's in character?  Well, I guess I won't be voting for him anymore to be President of South Carolina.

MTV's Best Movie of the Year:  The Dark Knight Rises
"How do you follow up one of the best comic book-inspired films of all time anchored by an immediately iconic performance? You go bigger. You raise the stakes. And you put an exclamation point on the end of it."  Ok, here's an exclamation point, Superman can STILL beat Batman in a fight!!! 

Arizona State University International Institute for Species Exploration Top New Species:  Creepy Crawly Cambrian "Cactus"
Name:  Diania cactiformis
Common Name: Walking Cactus
Family: belongs to the extinct class Xenusia
Although this new species looks more like a cactus than an animal at first glance, Diania cactiformis belongs to an extinct group called the armoured Lobopodia.  Like the only living lobopodians (the Onychophora or velvet worms), the armoured lobopodians had wormlike bodies and multiple pairs of legs."  The latest news on the 'Walking Cactus' insect is that it tastes like chicken and Hollywood just signed it up to be a villain in the next Batman movie.

So, enough with the cruddy old boring end-of-year lists and let's now move onto the thing that many have been waiting for.  So without further ado, here it is:  Rehabmart's List of the Top Selling Medical Products of 2012!

 
Number 10:  Norco Soft MP Ulnar Drift Support.  Take the drift out of the Ulnar with this support that helps to maintain the neutral alignment of the MP joints in rheumatoid arthritis.  Coming in either the warmer and strong supporting material of neoprene or the non-slipping very light support material of fabrifoam, this latex free product will support those drifting MP joints while still allowing the fingers to move around for functional use.

  



Number 9:  Guardian Safe-T-Pole.  As the Rolling Stones used to say that 'we all need someone we can lean on, so baby, you can lean on me', they could have been talking about this Safe-T-Pole.  This floor-to-ceiling pole can provide a sure grip anywhere you grab it to help stand up or sit down on a sofa, chair, or bed and it can even be used on the stairs, or in the bathroom next to the toilet.  This heavy-duty, durable steel pole can blend with most decorating tastes and is a very safe and secure assistive device.

  

Number 8:  Good Grip Utensils.  All people need to eat yet sometimes may have neurological impairments, hand arthritis, or generalized hand weaknesses which make it difficult to grab and hold small and thin eating utensils.  The Good Grips utensils have a soft, latex-free material with flexible ribbing that is easier to grip, even when wet.  The forks and spoons have a special twist in the metal shaft which allows it to be bent in any angle, making it easier for either left or right handed people with a limited hand-to-mouth reach to feed themselves.

  




Number 7:  TheraTogs UL ULTRA Full Body System.  Even though TheraTogs might look like the newest Olympic swim suit or something that a character would wear in a Batman movie, they are really used in the sensorimotor training of clients with developmental disabilities.  This foam-lined, latex-free, comfortable, breathable, Velcro-sensitive "external skin" wraps the torso and lower extremities which allow a clinician to attach straps that can improve postural alignment and stability.  TheraTogs can also help retrain people during rehabilitation following a stroke, brain injury, neurosurgery, or orthopedic surgery.

  


Number 6:  The Lap Hugger for Desk Arm or Full Arm Wheelchairs.  Really, who doesn't need a hug now and then?  The Lap Hugger will 'hug' a person who needs some assistance with upper body posture, or from forward leaning while sitting in a manual wheelchair.  Made of durable foam and easy to clean vinyl, this product will fit most wheelchairs and will keep a wheelchair bound person safe and secure with its big hug.

  

Number 5:  Pediatric Abdominal Binder.  At first glance at the name, some people may think that this is a medical binder full of photos about different rashes and diseases on kids' stomachs, but alas, it is not.  This product is used on children who need support to their lower torso to reduce muscle strain and fatigue.  It will also help in reinforcing muscles used for respiration to improve aerobic performance, or reduce musculoskeletal vibration caused by sports or physical labor. 

  


Number 4:  High Backed Full Support Swing Seats.  To be able to fly through the air with the greatest of ease as a child on a swing set is a right, not a privilege, and with these swing seats, now most every child can fly like an eagle.  Being able to add a pommel and a safety harness with snap buckles, this HDPE strong yet soft plastic seat can safely allow children with different abilities to swing in the air.  These seats also offer an inch more room to enhance comfort for all shapes and sizes of children whooshing back and forth in the breeze.  The UV stabilized ropes have convenient hardware to help adjust the seat in both height and angle, making it easier on both the child and the caregiver.

  



Number 3:  Comfyprene Infant Hand Orthosis by Comfy Splints.  This splint will give an infant or a small child a hand by providing support and positioning for weak or deformed hands.  It can also be used as an excellent resting splint.

  
Number 2:  DeRoyal LMB Spring Finger Extension Assist.  In the past an extended finger got me into trouble but in this case, it's a little different.  This product is designed for patient comfort with its high quality Wire-Foam construction, providing a customized fit with an emphasis on distal pad curvature.  This model will extend the PIP joint with a slight extension effect on the MP joint.  Tension can be adjusted by careful bending.

Drumroll......................................................................

Number 1:  Playmaker Soft Protective Helmet.  To protect the noggin from knocking into objects is a great thing to have.  These helmets are made with thick EVR rubber foam which absorbs energy from falls and then disperses it throughout the headgear, ensuring total protection and reducing the chance of a serious head injury.  This uniquely comfortable and lightweight headgear offers maximum protection and comfort.  LYCRA surrounds the outer shell which allows air to flow throughout the helmet and prevents the wearer from enduring any extra heat.  Velcro straps and adjustable laces at the back of the headgear allows for a custom fit.

So, there you have it.  The Third Annual Rehabmart Top Ten Selling Medical Products of 2012.  No doubt these items will soon be questions on the Jeopardy show under the category, 'The Ten Most Important Medical Sold Items in 2012'.  I am sure that Rehabmart will also soon be receiving calls from all the major television networks to be asked to appear on all the talk shows to discuss The List. 

Unfortunately, we now have to wait for a whole year to see what the next top ten list will be showing.  Many questions are already forming about next year's list.  "Will the Playmaker Soft Protective Helmets be number one next year?"  "Will the Spring Finger Extension Assist make a strong run and take over the number one spot?"  "Will something like a hyperbaric chamber or a Tel-Time Talking Watch come out of nowhere and surprise everyone with a top ten finish?"  Only time will tell, and I am excited to find out who the big winner will be, so until next year, we at Rehabmart hope that everybody has a wonderfully happy and healthy New Year in 2013! 

Bill Stock
Executive Editor,
Content & Social Media Services
and
Hulet Smith, OT
Rehabmart Team Leader & CEO