Smith & Nephew scores a HAT-TRICK with its entry into the high-growth hammer toe repair market

LONDON, July 31, 2014 /PRNewswire/ — Smith & Nephew (LSE:SN, NYSE:SNN), the global medical technology business, today announced its entry into the forefoot market with the launch of the HAT-TRICK(TM) Lesser Toe Repair System. Comprised of three separate repair options, the HAT-TRICK System includes products for metatarsophalangeal (MTP) ligament repair and reconstruction, a metatarsal osteotomy guide, and a revisable, all-PEEK implant for proximal Inter-phalanges (PIP) fusion, also known as hammer toe correction.

With the new HAT-TRICK System, surgeons have access to:

   -- The HAT-TRICK MTP Joint Repair System, which provides a complete repair 
      of the lesser MTP joint that is less invasive and more anatomic than 
      current standard of care techniques,i 
 
   -- The HAT-TRICK Osteotomy Guide, which allows for a controlled, precise and 
      reproducible approach that maintains the biomechanical axis of the 
      metatarsal,ii and 
 
   -- The HAT-TRICK PIP Fusion System, which is an all-inside fusion of the PIP 
      joint that is less invasive than other standard of care options.iii

“We are excited to expand our successful foot and ankle portfolio into the forefoot,” says Mark Waugh, Vice President, Extremities and Limb Restoration for Smith & Nephew. “In addition to being a high-growth area, we believe there are tremendous opportunities for us to enhance the surgeon experience, simplify the procedures and, most importantly, improve patient outcomes.”

Current market analysis shows that procedures such as lesser toe correction surgery are experiencing double-digit growth in the US.(iv) However, patient satisfaction research suggests that as many as 46% of hammer toe patients are unsatisfied with the outcome of their surgery using existing methods and technologies.(v)

“Although treating lesser toe deformities is extremely common, getting consistently predictable outcomes has eluded surgeons worldwide,” explains orthopaedic surgeon Charles Saltzman, MD, chairman of the system’s scientific advisory board. “Current standards of treatment are known to have unacceptably high complication rates.”

The HAT-TRICK system is a new three-part approach designed to not only treat the deformity, but also the underlying problem that led to the deformity in the first place.”

Editor’s notes: The metatarsophalangeal joint connects the metatarsal bones of the foot and the proximal bones (proximal phalanges) of the toes — similar to the area of the hand called the knuckles.

About Smith & Nephew

Smith & Nephew is a global medical technology business dedicated to helping healthcare professionals improve people’s lives. With leadership positions in Orthopaedic Reconstruction, Advanced Wound Management, Sports Medicine and Trauma & Extremities, Smith & Nephew has around 11,000 employees and a presence in more than 90 countries. Annual sales in 2013 were more than $4.3 billion. Smith & Nephew is a member of the FTSE100 (LSE: SN, NYSE: SNN).

For more information about Smith & Nephew, please visit our corporate website www.smith-nephew.com, follow @SmithNephewplc on Twitter or visit SmithNephewplc on Facebook.com

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(TM)Trademark of Smith & Nephew. Certain marks registered US Patent and Trademark Office.

(i) Saltzman C. “The Development of a Novel Repair Technique for Metatarsophalengeal Instability Utilizing Cadaver Validated Computer Modeling: A Comparison with Current Techniques” International Foot & Ankle Conference. 2012 Sydney, Australia.

(ii) Internal testing, data on file.

(iii) Angirasa AK, Barrett MJ, Silvester D. Smart Toe(R) Implant Compared with Kirschner Wire Fixation for Hammer Digit Corrective Surgery: A Review of 28 Patients. J Foot Ankle Surg 2012; 51:711-713.

(iv) iData Research. “US Market For Small Bone & Joint Orthopedic Devices.” 2013.

(v) Barg A, Courville XF, Nickisch F, Bachus KN, Saltzman C. Role of Collateral Ligaments in Metatarsophalangeal Stability: A Cadaver Study. Foot Ankle Int 2012; 33:877-882.

SOURCE Smith & Nephew

/CONTACT: Media: Joe Metzger, Smith & Nephew, +1 (978) 749-1330; or Investor/Analyst: Phil Cowdy, Smith & Nephew, +44 (0)20 7401 7646

/Web site: http://www.smith-nephew.com