dj Orthopedics Receives Commendation from the Arthritis Foundation for Easy to Use Osteoarthritis Knee Braces
SAN DIEGO, Feb 22, 2005 /PRNewswire-FirstCall via COMTEX/ -- dj Orthopedics, Inc., (NYSE: DJO), a global medical device company specializing in rehabilitation and regeneration products for the non-operative orthopedic and spine markets, today announced that the Company's line of DonJoy® Osteoarthritis (OA) knee braces has received the Arthritis Foundation's
"Ease-of-Use" Commendation.
"Arthritis is the leading cause of disability in the U.S. affecting nearly 70 million Americans," said Dr. John H. Klippel, CEO of the Arthritis Foundation. "The goal of the Ease of Use Commendation program is to identify products that are effective and easy-to-use for people with arthritis to help them maintain an active lifestyle. It is the commitment of the Arthritis Foundation to encourage manufacturers to design user-friendly products and packaging. Products are then rigorously reviewed and tested by an independent lab to ensure that they are easy to use by people with functional limitations due to the effects of arthritis."
Knee osteoarthritis is the destruction of articular cartilage, followed by the destruction of the underlying bone due to wear and contact pressure. With time the cortical surface of the bone is weakened and may collapse. When the joint becomes malaligned, deterioration become more rapid and pain increases. Approximately 3% of all adult Americans have at least one joint with evidence of OA visible on an X-ray.
dj Orthopedics' OA braces offer arthritis patients simple to use, non-operative, non-pharmacological pain relief for knee OA. An independent research lab found DonJoy OA Braces to be lightweight and low profile, allowing them to be worn under clothing and adjusted to suit the patient's activity level. The Company's OA braces function by shifting the knee's load from the OA affected compartment of the knee to healthier side of the knee. Patient's who wear an OA knee brace generally experience an immediate reduction in knee pain associated with movement, enabling them to remain active. dj Orthopedics' OA knee brace includes four different products, the custom Adjustable OA Defiance® and the custom Montana2®, both for more active OA patients, and two off the shelf products, the patient ready OAdjuster® and the OA Everyday™ (for every day activities).
"In light of recent concerns regarding certain pain relieving drug therapies, we are pleased that the Arthritis Foundation, the foremost authority on arthritis in the United States, has bestowed the DonJoy OA bracing line with this prestigious distinction," said Les Cross, president and CEO of dj Orthopedics. "dj Orthopedics is committed to providing the highest quality knee braces to improve the lives of those dealing with the daily challenges of OA."
Richard D. Parker, MD practices orthopedics and sports medicine at the Cleveland Clinic Foundation. In his practice, he sees many patients who are looking for relief of knee pain due to arthritis. Commenting on the role of knee braces, Dr. Parker cited several studies that show significant pain relief and increased function by people who used them. "With concerns about long-term use of anti-inflammatory medications like the Cox-2 group, the utilization of a load-shifting brace is a very viable alternative treatment to explore."
An active and aging population in the United States drives the OA bracing market. Frost & Sullivan estimates the OA knee brace market at $61.7M in 2003 with a compounding annual growth rate of 10.6 percent through 2009. OA brace market is one of the fastest growth areas in the rigid knee bracing market.
About dj Orthopedics, Inc. dj Orthopedics is a global medical device company specializing in rehabilitation and regeneration products for the non-operative orthopedic and spine markets. The Company's broad range of over 600 rehabilitation products, including rigid knee braces, soft goods and pain management products, are used in the prevention of injury, in the treatment of chronic conditions and for recovery after surgery or injury. The Company's regeneration products consist of bone growth stimulation devices that are used to treat nonunion fractures and as an adjunct therapy after spinal fusion surgery.
The Company sells its products in the United States and in more than 40 other countries through networks of agents, distributors and its direct sales force that market its products to orthopedic and podiatric surgeons, spine surgeons, orthopedic and prosthetic centers, third-party distributors, hospitals, surgery centers, physical therapists, athletic trainers and other healthcare professionals. For additional information on the Company, please visit www.djortho.com
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