New Industry Data Demonstrates The Superiority Of The BIRMINGHAM HIP Resurfacing System

Memphis, TN - Smith & Nephew, Inc.'s Orthopaedic Reconstruction business recently welcomed the release of six-year clinical data that confirms the clinical superiority of Smith & Nephew, Inc.'s BIRMINGHAM HIP Resurfacing system (BHR). The report was issued by the Australian Orthopaedic Association National Joint Replacement Registry, one of the most comprehensive registries of its kind, on October 1, 2007. Data was tracked from September 1999 to December 2006 and revealed that the BHR device has the highest hip resurfacing system survivability rate among all of its established competitors for which data had been collected, highlighting the system's continuing exceptional clinical performance.

Highlights from the report:

• Since the inception of the registry, the BIRMINGHAM HIP Resurfacing system has been the overwhelming choice of patients – over 75% of resurfacing procedures have used the BHR device
• The BHR system has a revision rate of 0.8 per 100 component years or 2.5%
• The BHR system's rate is derived from 19,585 component years, 19 times that of any other resurfacing competitor
• Three alternative hip resurfacing systems were cited for their high revision rates
• According to the registry, hip resurfacing accounts for 7.9% of all primary hip replacements

"We are extremely pleased with the Registry's results. The report once again highlights the ability of the BIRMINGHAM HIP Resurfacing system to help people maintain the most active and healthy lifestyle possible," said Joseph DeVivo, president of Smith & Nephew Orthopaedic Reconstruction. "The BIRMINGHAM HIP Resurfacing System lets active people live the life they love and continue to pursue their passions. The long-term clinical data available clearly demonstrates the benefits of the BIRMINGHAM HIP Resurfacing system, which is the gold standard for resurfacing technology in the world and a significant addition to our reconstructive product portfolio in the United States."

The seventh Annual Report of the Australian Orthopaedic Association National Joint Replacement Registry (AOA NJRR) is one of the most comprehensive studies of joint replacement procedures in the world. By carefully studying the timing and reasons for revision surgery as well as mortality rates, the Registry measures the success rates of products and procedures across Australia. This year's report is based on the analysis of 332,700 hip and knee procedures undertaken in 271,188 patients with a procedure date from September 1999 through 31 December 2006.

The study is highly regarded for its comprehensiveness and accuracy because the Registry is able to obtain an almost complete set of data relating to hip and knee joint replacement for an entire country. The Registry receives information from all hospitals (public and private) undertaking joint replacement. Using a strict validation process and following retrieval of unreported records and checking of unmatched data, the initial validation for the 2005/6 Registry data resulted in over 96% of Registry records verified against health department data.

About Hip Resurfacing and the BIRMINGHAM HIP Resurfacing System
Hip resurfacing is a bone conserving alternative to traditional total hip replacement for patients suffering from abnormalities of the hip, including osteoarthritis.

The BIRMINGHAM HIP Resurfacing system conserves more of a patient's bone than a traditional hip replacement, enabling younger, more active patients to undergo hip replacement surgery while preserving all future surgery options, including a primary hip replacement. The design of The BIRMINGHAM HIP Resurfacing system also offers patients a reduced risk of dislocation.

Developed by Surgeons Derek McMinn and Ronan Treacy, BIRMINGHAM HIP Resurfacing system was first introduced in July 1997 in the UK and has now been implanted in nearly 80,000 patients in 26 countries.

SOURCE: Smith & Nephew, Inc.