New Polyaxial Trauma Plates Complement Wright’s Market-Leading Reconstructive Portfolio for Foot and Ankle Surgery
Wright Medical Group, Inc. (NASDAQ: WMGI), a global orthopaedic medical device company, today announced the launch of the ORTHOLOC™ Polyaxial Locked Plating System for surgical treatment of foot and ankle fractures.
Designed by leading foot and ankle surgeons, the ORTHOLOC™ system is a comprehensive and advanced solution for treating common bone fractures of the foot and ankle. The ORTHOLOC™ system consists of three instrument and plating trays, each designed to help the surgeon stabilize and fixate bone injuries of either the forefoot, calcaneus, or ankle region. The implants, plates and screws are made of titanium, and all incorporate Wright’s advanced ORTHOLOC™ polyaxial locking technology. “Polyaxial locking” allows the surgeon to tailor the angle of screw placement into the plate for best anatomic fit and then “lock” the screw to the plate. Locked plating delivers the benefit of greater stability of the bone/plate construct over conventional non-locked plates.
“ORTHOLOC™ Polyaxial Locking Technology gives me the ability to place a locking screw where I need it and not where the plate dictates. Ultimately, this technology makes locked plating faster and more adaptable to the indication and specific patient anatomy,” notes Thomas H. Lee, M.D. of the Orthopedic Foot and Ankle Center in Columbus, Ohio.
Robert B. Anderson, M.D. of OrthoCarolina in Charlotte, North Carolina commented, “The new ORTHOLOC™ System is the first comprehensive polyaxial system, providing me all the implant options and surgical versatility I need in addressing foot and ankle fractures.”
The new ORTHOLOC™ Plating System will be made available in a controlled-release immediately in the U.S. through Wright’s specialized foot and ankle sales force. Full rollout is expected to be completed by the first quarter of 2010. Additionally, the system will be marketed in select countries outside the U.S. through Wright’s direct and distributor-based sales representatives.
The ORTHOLOC™ polyaxial plating systems are the latest addition to Wright’s market-leading suite of products for foot and ankle surgeons. These include the CHARLOTTE™ family of reconstructive implants, DARCO® locked plating systems, the BIOARCH® subtalar implant, SIDE-KICK® External Fixators, CANCELLO-PURE® and BIOFOAM™ osteotomy wedge systems, ENDO-FUSE™ intra-osseous implants, DART-FIRE™ small screw systems, GRAFTJACKET® regenerative tissue matrix, and the INBONE™ total ankle replacement.
Wright Medical Group, Inc. is a global orthopaedic medical device company specializing in the design, manufacture and marketing of reconstructive joint devices and biologics. The Company has been in business for more than 50 years and markets its products in over 60 countries worldwide. For more information about Wright Medical, visit the company’s website at www.wmt.com.
This press release contains “forward-looking statements” within the meaning of Section 27A of the Securities Act of 1933, as amended, and Section 21E of the Securities Exchange Act of 1934, as amended.All statements made in this press release, other than statements of historical fact, are forward-looking statements.Forward-looking statements reflect management''s current knowledge, assumptions, beliefs, estimates, and expectations and express management''s current views of future performance, results, and trends and may be identified by their use of terms such as “anticipate,” “believe,” “could,” “estimate,” “expect,” “intend,” “may,” “plan,” “predict,” “project,” “will,” and other similar terms. The Company wishes to caution readers that actual results might differ materially from those described in the forward-looking statements. Forward-looking statements are subject to a number of risks and uncertainties, including the factors discussed in the Company’s filings with the Securities and Exchange Commission (including the Company’s annual report on Form 10-K for the year ended December 31, 2008, under the heading, “Risk Factors”), which could cause the Company’s actual results to materially differ from those described in the forward-looking statements. Although the Company believes that the forward-looking statements are accurate, there can be no assurance that any forward-looking statement will prove to be accurate. A forward-looking statement should not be regarded as a representation by the Company that the results described therein will be achieved.The Company wishes to caution readers not to place undue reliance on any forward-looking statement.The forward-looking statements are made as of the date of this press release. The Company assumes no obligation to update any forward-looking statement after this date.
Contacts:
Wright Medical Group, Inc.
John K. Bakewell, 901-867-4527
