Healthcare Industry News: Fixation System
News Release - September 14, 2006
Zimmer Holdings to Launch Innovative Locking Plate System at Orthopaedic Trauma Association Meeting
WARSAW, Ind., Sept. 14 (HSMN NewsFeed) -- Zimmer Holdings, Inc. (NYSE: ZMH ; SWX: ZMH ), a leader in the orthopaedics industry, announced today it will launch its Universal Locking System at the upcoming Orthopaedic Trauma Association meeting in Phoenix, Arizona. The new technology is designed to improve treatment of high energy fractures and fractures in osteoporotic patients."The new Zimmer Trauma Division is focused on identifying and bringing to market unique technologies that distinguish our offering in the marketplace," said Ray Elliott, Zimmer Chairman, President and CEO. "This innovative locking design provides that differentiation and complements our successful Zimmer® Periarticular Locking Plate products. The technology, because of its ability to address osteoporotic patients, also supports our efforts to address women's health issues."
Because of the system's proprietary hole design, a surgeon can utilize the plates as compression plates, locked internal fixators or as an internal Fixation System combining both techniques. The plate design will accept locking screws and most manufacturers' standard cortical (3.5mm) or cancellous screws (4.0mm) in any plate hole. With a slightly different philosophy of use and modified surgical techniques, these plates provide more fixation options and, often, better fixation in many difficult fractures.
"This locking technology can provide excellent fixation in otherwise healthy bone, but a key advantage of the design is that it can address patients whose bone quality has been compromised," said Elliott. "At Zimmer, we have a very active program underway to research and address requirements related to the patient's gender. This design can address both genders, but because osteoarthritis and osteoporosis affect women to a greater degree than men, we believe it will be especially useful in addressing women patients."
Zimmer has begun its U.S. roll-out and will follow with worldwide distribution expected to be completed later this year. The Universal Locking Plate technology was developed by Swiss Orthopaedic Solutions (SOS), a privately held Pennsylvania company. Zimmer acquired distribution rights to the technology in 2004.
Zimmer Trauma offers a comprehensive portfolio of trauma solutions and treatment options designed to address complex surgical issues. In addition to featuring the Universal Locking System at the annual Orthopaedic Trauma Association meeting, the Zimmer exhibit is designed to showcase additional premier product offerings such as Zimmer® Periarticular Locking & Non- Locking Plates, NCB® Plating System, MIS(TM) Femoral Nailing Solutions, TransFx(TM) External Fixation System, Trabecular Metal(TM) Osteonecrosis Intervention Implant, and Copios(TM) Bone Void Filler.
About the Company
Founded in 1927 and headquartered in Warsaw, Indiana, Zimmer is the worldwide #1 pure-play orthopaedic leader in designing, developing, manufacturing and marketing reconstructive and spinal implants, trauma and related orthopaedic surgical products. Zimmer has operations in more than 24 countries around the world and sells products in more than 100 countries. Zimmer's 2005 sales were approximately $3.3 billion. The Company is supported by the efforts of more than 6,700 employees worldwide.
Visit Zimmer on the worldwide web at http://www.zimmer.com
Zimmer Safe Harbor Statement
This press release contains forward-looking statements within the safe harbor provisions of the Private Securities Litigation Reform Act of 1995 based on current expectations, estimates, forecasts and projections about the orthopaedics industry, management's beliefs and assumptions made by management. Forward-looking statements may be identified by the use of forward-looking terms such as "may," "will," "expects," "believes," "anticipates," "plans," "estimates," "projects," "assumes," "guides," "targets," "forecasts," and "seeks" or the negative of such terms or other variations on such terms or comparable terminology. These statements are not guarantees of future performance and involve risks, uncertainties and assumptions that could cause actual outcomes and results to differ materially. These risks and uncertainties include, but are not limited to, our ability to successfully integrate acquired businesses, the outcome of the Department of Justice investigations announced in March 2005 and June 2006, price and product competition, rapid technological development, demographic changes, dependence on new product development, the mix of our products and services, supply and prices of raw materials and products, customer demand for our products and services, control of costs and expenses, our ability to form and implement alliances, international growth, governmental laws and regulations affecting our U.S. and international businesses, including tax obligations and risks, product liability and intellectual property litigation losses, reimbursement levels from third-party payors, general industry and market conditions and growth rates and general domestic and international economic conditions including interest rate and currency exchange rate fluctuations. For a further list and description of such risks and uncertainties, see our periodic reports filed with the U.S. Securities and Exchange Commission. We disclaim any intention or obligation to update or revise any forward-looking statements, whether as a result of new information, future events or otherwise, except as may be set forth in our periodic reports. Readers of this document are cautioned not to place undue reliance on these forward- looking statements, since, while we believe the assumptions on which the forward-looking statements are based are reasonable, there can be no assurance that these forward-looking statements will prove to be accurate. This cautionary statement is applicable to all forward-looking statements contained in this document.
Source: Zimmer
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