Smith+Nephew signs exclusive distribution agreement to bring unique NAVBIT SPRINT(TM) solution for accurate acetabular cup alignment to Japan

— Small, disposable, compact and simple to use navigation tool offers surgeons speed and reliability without the financial burden of capital equipment

Smith+Nephew (LSE:SN, NYSE:SNN), the global medical technology company, today announces an agreement with NAVBIT to exclusively distribute the NAVBIT SPRINT disposable navigation device for use in primary hip arthroplasty in Japan. NAVBIT SPRINT delivers a fast and reliable alternative to capital investment improving efficiencies for hospitals.

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Post-operative dislocation is the number two most common reason for revision of a total hip replacement around the world(1,2,3,4) and remains a serious concern for surgeons when performing total hip arthroplasty. Studies have shown reduced risk of dislocation when using navigation.(5)

The NAVBIT SPRINT device has been shown to be accurate to within an average error of 2.13 degrees in cup inclination and 2.36 degrees in cup anteversion.(6)

“Smith+Nephew’s new agreement with NAVBIT offers Japanese surgeons an exciting technology to improve outcomes and efficiencies in the operating room,” said Shinya Dobashi, Senior Vice President and Managing Director, North Asia, Smith+Nephew. “Only 49% of acetabular cups are accurately aligned when using manual instrumentation.(7) NAVBIT SPRINT offers our customers a simple and accurate solution to achieve reproducible results.”

“In the past surgery was more art than science. Today we have higher expectations around the accuracy and precision of our surgery,” said Professor Bill Walter, Orthopaedic Surgeon and Founder of NAVBIT. “Outliers are becoming less acceptable to surgeons and to patients. Surgeons will have to answer the question: If there is a technology available that can make you more accurate, why are you not using it?”

“Japanese surgeons are the most sophisticated in their field. They are the leaders in understanding the complexities of hip surgery in 3 dimensions and the impact of movements of the spine and pelvis on the outcomes of hip replacement,” said Lynette Walter, CEO of NAVBIT. “Navbit is delighted to be working with the most capable, tech savvy surgeons in the world.”

NAVBIT’s SPRINT System is available through Smith+Nephew in Japan for either supine and lateral approaches to primary hip arthroplasty.

References

1. Australian Orthopaedic Association National Joint Replacement Registry (AOANJRR). Hip, Knee & Shoulder Arthroplasty: 2020 Annual Report, Adelaide; AOA, 2020: 1-474. [Available at: https://aoanjrr.sahmri.com/annual-reports-2020]
2. National Joint Registry for England, Wales and Northern Ireland, 17th Annual Report. [Available at: http://www.njrcentre.org.uk/njrcentre]
3. American Joint Replacement Registry (AJRR), The Seventh Annual Report of the AJRR on Hip and Knee Arthroplasty 2020, American Academy of Orthopaedic Surgeons
4. Italian Arthroplasty Register, Addendum to the Annual Report 2019, English Version of Tables and Figures, October 2020
5. Agarwal S, Eckhard L, Walter WL, et al. The Use of Computer Navigation in Total Hip Arthroplasty Is Associated with a Reduced Rate of Revision for Dislocation: A Study of 6,912 Navigated THA Procedures from the Australian Orthopaedic Association National Joint Replacement Registry. J Bone Joint Surg Am. 2021.
6. Walter WL, Baker NA, Marsden-Jones D, Sageghpour A. Novel measure of acetabular cup inclination and anteversion during Total Hip Arthroplasty. 2022 in press.
7. The John Charnley Award: Risk Factors for Cup Malpositioning: Quality Improvement Through a Joint Registry at a Tertiary Hospital. Malchau et al Clin Orthop Relat Res. 2011 Feb; 469(2): 319–329.

About Smith+Nephew
Smith+Nephew is a portfolio medical technology company focused on the repair, regeneration and replacement of soft and hard tissue. We exist to restore people’s bodies and their self-belief by using technology to take the limits off living. We call this purpose ‘Life Unlimited’. Our 19,000 employees deliver this mission every day, making a difference to patients’ lives through the excellence of our product portfolio, and the invention and application of new technologies across our three global franchises of Orthopaedics, Sports Medicine & ENT and Advanced Wound Management.

Founded in Hull, UK, in 1856, we now operate in more than 100 countries, and generated annual sales of $5.2 billion in 2022. Smith+Nephew is a constituent of the FTSE100 (LSE:SN, NYSE:SNN). The terms ‘Group’ and ‘Smith+Nephew’ are used to refer to Smith & Nephew plc and its consolidated subsidiaries, unless the context requires otherwise.

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