Biomet Announces 2,000 U.S. Surgeons, to Date, Have Completed Training to Implant Oxford Partial Knee

Wed Jul 11, 2007

Biomet Announces 2,000 U.S. Surgeons, to Date, Have Completed Training to Implant the Oxford(R) Partial Knee WARSAW, Ind.–(Business Wire)–Biomet, Inc. (NASDAQ:BMET) announced today that Biomet Orthopedics recently held its 19th Oxford(R) Partial Knee training course in the United States, with 2,000 domestic surgeons having completed the training, to date. Trained surgeons receive access to the market-leading Oxford(R) Partial Knee with its published long-term clinical results of 98% success at 10 years(1) follow-up, a 95% success rate at 15 years(2) and 92% success reported at 20 years(3).

The Oxford(R) Partial Knee, with its free-floating meniscal bearing design, is the only true mobile bearing partial knee available in the United States. The Oxford(R) Knee has been implanted in patients outside the United States since 1976, but was first introduced to the domestic market as the Oxford(TM) Unicompartmental Knee System during October 2004 after Biomet obtained pre-market approval from the U.S. Food and Drug Administration earlier that year.

The primary advantages of the Oxford(R) Partial Knee include 75% less bone removal, less postoperative pain and more natural motion than a total knee replacement.(4, 5) In addition, the Oxford(R) Knee may be implanted utilizing a minimally invasive procedure that is designed to allow for a more rapid recovery. One of every four osteoarthritic knees may potentially be treated conservatively with the Oxford(R) Partial Knee.(1)

The training sessions, which are staffed by Oxford University designing surgeons along with faculty in the United States, provide surgeons with practical hands-on experience to learn the Oxford(R) Partial Knee surgical technique utilizing the patented instrumentation system. The surgical technique includes preservation of the anterior cruciate ligament in order to maintain joint stability and natural motion.

Biomet’s President and Chief Executive Officer Jeffrey R. Binder stated, “Biomet is honored to work with these exceptional faculty members who are passionate about the Oxford(R) Partial Knee and the benefits it provides to patients. In addition, we are pleased to offer this training to the many talented surgeons who are making the commitment to attend these high-level courses.”

Mr. Binder continued, “We are excited about the phenomenal market acceptance the Oxford(R) Knee is receiving in the United States, as we celebrate the Oxford(R) System’s 30 years of excellent clinical success outside the United States. Importantly, the Oxford(R) Partial Knee is the most widely used and clinically proven partial knee system in the world, producing long-term survivorship results that equal those of the most successful total knee replacements.”