Zimmer Inks Deal for Knee Device Company Warsaw, Ind.-based Zimmer Holdings Inc. has acquired Wes

Zimmer Inks Deal for Knee Device Company
Warsaw, Ind.-based Zimmer Holdings Inc. has acquired West Chester, Pa.-based Knee Creations LLC. The purchase of the knee device company adds a propriety procedure called Subchondroplasty to Zimmer’s portfolio. The technique is a joint-preservation treatment that reportedly has been shown to deliver sustained relief to patients with knee pain, with or without arthritis. It is the first procedure to address an unmet clinical need between early interventions, including NSAIDs (non-steroidal, anti-inflammatory drugs) and arthroscopy, and total joint replacement, Knee Creations executives claim.
Terms of the deal were not disclosed.

“Zimmer is committed to developing the most comprehensive range of therapies for knee patients, from early intervention and joint preservation products to patient specific instrumentation and personalized joint replacements,” said Jeff McCaulley, president of Zimmer’s reconstructive unit. “The acquisition of Knee Creations’ revolutionary Subchondroplasty treatment provides Zimmer with another clinically differentiated offering that addresses an unmet clinical need.”

“We are pleased that Zimmer will be the new owner of this business and technology, enabling it to further flourish for the benefit of patients and physicians,” said Marc R. Viscogliosi, a founder and chairman of the board of Knee Creations (he also is chairman and CEO of New York, N.Y.-based Paradigm Spine). “As a global leader, we believe Zimmer can make the greatest impact with the revolutionary Subchondroplasty procedure platform.”

Subchondroplasty is a percutaneous outpatient intervention that addresses the defects associated with subchondral bone marrow edema (BME). BMEs are related to stress fractures or micro-fractures and are diagnosed using MRI (magnetic resonance imaging). Left untreated, these defects have been shown to lead to cartilage degeneration, limited function, pain and greater risk for joint deterioration.
In this minimally invasive, arthroscopically assisted procedure, navigation instruments are used to inject a specialized bone void filler to treat the bone defect and begin the healing process, without violating the joint. According to Knee Creations, more than 1,500 Subchondroplasty procedures have been completed since its introduction in Nov. 2010.

Knee Creations was founded in 2007 by Viscogliosi Brothers LLC, which actively invests in the orthopedic medical device market, including companies such as Small Bone Innovations, Spine Solutions Inc. and Paradigm Spine Inc.

Zimmer offers orthopedic reconstructive, spinal and trauma devices, dental implants, and related surgical products.