Leader of Johnson & Johnson 3D Printing Center of Excellence Outlines Advantages of Customized Knee Implants

Orthopedic Industry Researches Additive Manufacturing and Customized Implants, While Body of Positive Clinical Results Related to ConforMIS Customized Knee Implant Systems Grows


BILLERICA, Mass., Oct. 16, 2017 (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) -- ConforMIS, Inc. (NASDAQ:CFMS), a medical technology company that offers joint replacement implants customized to fit each patient's unique anatomy, today announced that, while the industry has begun to acknowledge the value of customized knee replacement implant systems compared to traditional off-the-shelf implant systems, it has obtained additional positive clinical data regarding the performance of its customized partial knee replacement implants.

A photo accompanying this announcement is available at http://www.globenewswire.com/NewsRoom/AttachmentNg/38f395f7-6e0c-415c-b971-eafda91979ec

Recently, Sam Onukuri, head of Johnson & Johnson’s 3D Printing Center of Excellence, acknowledged the advantages of customized knee implants and instruments that are developed based on a CT or MRI scan of a patient’s anatomy.  In an interview generally discussing the advantages of additive manufacturing published in GE Reports by General Electric (GE) and in an “Employee Spotlight” article published by Johnson & Johnson, Onukuri noted the potential advantages of customized knee implants that may reduce both “pain and the recuperation time” compared to traditional off-the-shelf implant systems that come in a limited range of sizes.  “Physicians make every effort to find the implant that fits best,” Onukuri says. “But it’s never a perfect match, and the same is true for the tools. As a result, the surgery takes longer — and so can healing and recovery — and the fit may not be perfect.” On the other hand, Onukuri noted that “customized solutions” based on patient CT or MRI scans “can achieve an exact fit for the joint.”

While the orthopedic industry researches potential customized alternatives to traditional off-the-shelf implant technology, ConforMIS continues to develop a growing body of positive clinical data regarding its existing customized knee implants.  Most recently, in a study evaluating knee strength and mechanics that compared healthy control patients to those with either a modern off-the-shelf total knee replacement (TKR) or a customized bi-compartmental knee replacement (BKR), the authors concluded that the “study shows that BKR patients exhibit better strength and mechanics while performing activities of daily living.”  According to the study results: the TKR group walked significantly slower when compared to both the BKR group and healthy controls (p < 0.05); the TKR knee had less peak extensor moment at stance than both the BKR and healthy control knees (p < 0.05); and both the BKR and healthy control knees displayed larger internal rotation at stance than that of the TKR knee (p < 0.05).  The results of the study, for which ConforMIS provided financial support, were published online by International Orthopaedics on September 4, 2017.

“We are very pleased that the industry is now beginning to recognize the advantages and potentially transformative nature of customized knee implant and instrumentation solutions,” said Mark Augusti, Chief Executive Officer and President of ConforMIS.  “ConforMIS has been a champion of customized implant technology for over a decade, and the body of clinical data demonstrating both the clinical and the economic advantages of customized total and partial knee implant systems continues to grow.”

About ConforMIS, Inc.

ConforMIS is a medical technology company that uses its proprietary iFit Image-to-Implant technology platform to develop, manufacture and sell joint replacement implants that are individually sized and shaped, or customized, to fit each patient’s unique anatomy.  ConforMIS offers a broad line of customized knee implants and pre-sterilized, single-use instruments delivered in a single package to the hospital.  In recent clinical studies, ConforMIS iTotal CR demonstrated superior clinical outcomes, including better function and greater patient satisfaction, compared to traditional, off-the-shelf implants.  ConforMIS owns or exclusively in-licenses approximately 450 issued patents and pending patent applications that cover customized implants and patient-specific instrumentation for all major joints.

For more information, visit www.conformis.com.

Cautionary Statement Regarding Forward-Looking Statements

Any statements in this press release about future expectations, plans and prospects for ConforMIS, including statements about the transformative nature of customized implant systems, the economic or other impacts and advantages of using customized implants, as well as other statements containing the words “anticipate,” “believe,” “continue,” “could,” “estimate,” “expect,” “intend,” “may,” “might,” “plan,” “potential,” “predict,” “project,” “should,” “target,” “will,” or “would” and similar expressions, constitute forward-looking statements within the meaning of the safe harbor provisions of The Private Securities Litigation Reform Act of 1995. We may not actually achieve the plans, intentions or expectations disclosed in our forward-looking statements, and you should not place undue reliance on our forward-looking statements. Actual results or events could differ materially from the plans, intentions and expectations disclosed in the forward-looking statements we make as a result of a variety of risks and uncertainties, including risks related to our product development and commercialization efforts, and the other risks and uncertainties described in the “Risk Factors” sections of our public filings with the Securities and Exchange Commission. In addition, the forward-looking statements included in this press release represent ConforMIS’s views as of the date hereof. ConforMIS anticipates that subsequent events and developments may cause ConforMIS’s views to change. However, while ConforMIS may elect to update these forward-looking statements at some point in the future, ConforMIS specifically disclaims any obligation to do so. These forward-looking statements should not be relied upon as representing ConforMIS’s views as of any date subsequent to the date hereof.

The photo is also available via AP PhotoExpress.

CONTACT:

Beth Best
beth.best@conformis.com
(781) 345-9032

Investor Contact:
Oksana Bradley
ir@conformis.com
(781) 374-5598

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