Depuy Mitek Launches New Fixation Systems For Rotator Cuff And ACL Repair

Main Category: Bones / Orthopaedics
Also Included In: Medical Devices;  Sports Medicine / Fitness
Article Date: 10 Mar 2008 - 4:00 PDT

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DePuy Mitek, Inc., a leading manufacturer of surgical sports medicine devices, announced the launch of the HEALIX™ PEEK Suture Anchor System for arthroscopic rotator cuff repair and the Femoral INTRAFIX® ACL Fixation System for ACL repair using the anteromedial (AM) approach.

The announcement came here at the 75th Annual meeting of the American Academy of Orthopedic Surgeons (AAOS). "We continue to offer innovations around real needs in sports medicine," said Mike McBreen, Vice President of U.S. Sales, DePuy Mitek, Inc. "In rotator cuff repair surgeons are looking to restore the native footprint, which is enabled by having the strongest hold possible, and in ACL repair they're looking for better ways to restore the anatomy and motion. These new systems and the support we provide around them offer new solutions that improve patient care."

The HEALIX PEEK Anchor System is a dual threaded suture anchor that independently engages both cortical and cancellous bone maximizing pull-out strength and reducing the possibility of a re-tear. The anchor is made from Polyetheretherketone (PEEK) and may be preloaded with up to three strands of ORTHOCORD, a high-strength suture that provides excellent handling characteristics. HEALIX PEEK comes in three sizes (4.5mm, 5.5mm and 6.5mm) to address a wide variety of surgical techniques.

According to the AAOS, approximately four million people in the U.S. seek medical attention for injuries to the rotator cuff each year*. Of patients who choose surgery to repair the rotator cuff, about six percent experience re-tears†.

DePuy Mitek also introduced the Femoral INTRAFIX ACL Fixation System, a new system designed to achieve a more anatomic ACL reconstruction‡ with improved femoral footprint placement and coverage, controlled anteromedial and posterolateral bundle positioning and strong, stiff, soft tissue aperture fixation§. Femoral INTRAFIX uses an anteromedial approach to accurately position a single tunnel located in the center of the femoral ACL footprint.

Femoral INTRAFIX is a unique, patented sheath and screw system that provides strong, stiff, atraumatic aperture fixation eliminating problems associated with tunnel widening, graft damage, twisting and bunching.

The ACL (anterior cruciate ligament) is one of the most commonly injured ligaments of the knee. According to the AAOS, more than 100,000 ACL reconstructions occur in the U.S. each year**.

About DePuy Mitek, Inc.

DePuy Mitek, a Johnson & Johnson company, is a leading developer and manufacturer of innovative orthopedic sports medicine products. The company offers minimally invasive, arthroscopic surgical solutions that address the challenges of soft tissue repair in the shoulder, knee and other joints, as well as non-surgical therapies such as ORTHOVISC® for the treatment of osteoarthritis. Through the on-going process of improving upon and creating new, technologically advanced materials, instruments and techniques, DePuy Mitek looks for continued growth in developing the means to advance procedural solutions in the field of sports medicine. For more information, visit http://www.depuymitek.com.

This press release contains "forward-looking statements" as defined in the Private Securities Litigation Reform Act of 1995. These statements are based on current expectations of future events. If underlying assumptions prove inaccurate or unknown risks or uncertainties materialize, actual results could vary materially from Johnson & Johnson's expectations and projections. Risks and uncertainties include general industry conditions and competition; economic conditions, such as interest rate and currency exchange rate fluctuations; technological advances and patents attained by competitors; challenges inherent in new product development, including obtaining regulatory approvals; domestic and foreign health care reforms and governmental laws and regulations; and trends toward health care cost containment. A further list and description of these risks, uncertainties and other factors can be found in Exhibit 99 of the Company's Annual Report on Form 10-K for the fiscal year ended December 30, 2007. Copies of this Form 10-K, as well as subsequent filings, are available online at http://www.sec.gov, http://www.jnj.com or on request from Johnson & Johnson. Johnson & Johnson does not undertake to update any forward-looking statements as a result of new information or future events or developments.

References

* http://www.aaos.org/Research/stats/Rotator%20Cuff%20Repair.pdf
† http://orthoinfo.aaos.org/topic.cfm?topic=A00406
‡ Compared to existing techniques for single tunnel ACL reconstruction
§ Compared to existing transtibial techniques for single tunnel ACL reconstruction
** http://www.aaos.org/Research/stats/ACL%20Fact%20Sheet.pdf

DePuy Mitek, Inc.