DEPUY SPINE LAUNCHES NEW MINIMALLY INVASIVE SPINE SURGERY PRODUCT LINE

New PIPELINE™, CONCORDE™ and VIPER™ Systems Designed To Ease Minimally Invasive Spinal Fusion Surgery

PHOENIX – March 11, 2005 – DePuy Spine, Inc., a Johnson & Johnson company, today announced the launch of three new products designed to make minimally invasive spinal fusion surgery less traumatic for the patient. 

The announcement was made at the 21^st annual meeting of the AANS/CNS Section on Disorders of the Spine and Peripheral Nerves.  The American Association of Neurological Surgeons and the Congress of Neurological Surgeons jointly sponsor this meeting. 

PIPELINE™, CONCORDE™ and VIPER™ Systems when used together provide less invasive access to the spine, controlled placement of an intervertebral spacer, and control during pedicle screw fixation.  Each system was specifically designed to enhance a different aspect of minimally invasive spinal fusion surgery.

“Technological enhancements that improve surgical technique will result in greater and faster adoption of minimally invasive surgical techniques in spine,” said Larry Khoo, MD Co-Director, UCLA Spine Center, Assistant Professor, Department of Neurosurgery & Orthopedic Surgery.

Minimally invasive spinal fusion surgery, where surgeons insert thin, tubular surgical instruments through tiny incisions in the back, may result in less post-operative pain and quicker recovery compared with traditional open surgical techniques.  About 5 percent of the more than 400,000 spinal fusion surgeries performed each year in the U.S are performed with minimally invasive techniques.

“The launch of these new minimally invasive spine surgery products is just the beginning for us.  We are now in position to greatly expand our presence in minimally invasive spine surgery,” said Earl Fender, Worldwide President, DePuy Spine, Inc.  “We have people, the resources and expertise to help spine surgeons take spinal surgery to the next level.”

The PIPELINE Access System is a set of retraction ports and instruments.  Using a series of dilators, soft tissue is gently pushed aside in preparation for retraction port insertion.

The CONCORDE Implant and Instrument System is designed for a minimally invasive TLIF approach.  It consists of a series of two-piece distractor guides which provide for controlled device placement.  The distractor guide is left in place to maintain disc space distraction for insertion of an allograft spacer.

The VIPER System simplifies percutaneous pedicle screw and rod placement while minimizing the muscle trauma and the number and size of incisions required.  The VIPER Rod Holder allows the surgeon to easily guide the rod inside the screw heads without additional incisions.

About DePuy Spine

DePuy Spine, a Johnson & Johnson company, has worked and partnered with leading clinicians, researchers, and thought leaders to develop products to treat spine disorders for over 20 years.  Today, DePuy Spine stands in the forefront of the worldwide spine market, with a substantial sales organization in the U.S. and an expanding worldwide distribution network.  The company is committed to advancing the knowledge of all health care professionals and their patients in addressing spinal pathologies.