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Orthofix Announces Partnership With Texas Scottish Rite Hospital for Children

Posted on: Wednesday, 27 September 2006, 15:01 CDT

Orthofix International N.V. (NASDAQ: OFIX) and Texas Scottish Rite

Hospital for Children (TSRHC) announced today a partnership to develop

and distribute innovative medical devices designed to advance the

treatment of bone fractures and deformities in children.

The initial phase of the partnership will focus on expanding the

availability of the True/Lok™ Circular

Fixation System, which was developed by surgeons at TSRHC. The device,

which has already been used to treat thousands of children, was designed

to correct pediatric leg, foot and ankle deformities and also treat

pediatric bone traumas.

Orthofix's CEO, Alan Milinazzo, stated, "We

are very pleased to be working in partnership with TSRHC. As one of the

nation's leading pediatric orthopedic

hospitals, their reputation for expanding the availability of health

care services for children is renowned. We are hopeful that with Orthofix's

history of providing trauma and reconstruction products around the

world, and with TSRHC's Center for Excellence

in Limb Lengthening and Reconstruction, our combined expertise will

create new opportunities for children to receive advanced medical care."

The second phase of the partnership involves a joint effort between

Orthofix, TSRHC and other surgeons around the country to develop a new

external fixation device intended to improve further on the treatment of

children's bone conditions. Development of

this new device is currently scheduled to be completed in 2008.

"We are excited about the opportunity to

benefit from Orthofix's experience in

developing and distributing reconstruction and trauma products around

the world," said Dr. John Birch, co-director

of the Center for Excellence in Limb Lengthening and Reconstruction at

TSRHC.

"We appreciate Orthofix's

commitment to expanding the availability of products designed to treat

children," said Dr. Mikhail Samchucov,

co-director of the Center for Excellence in Limb Lengthening and

Reconstruction at TSRHC.

Orthofix expects to begin distributing the True/Lok™

System in about six weeks. TSRHC will provide surgeon education and

training facilities for the True/Lok™ System

as well as the new external fixation device planned for 2008.

About Orthofix International, N.V.

Orthofix International N.V., a global diversified orthopedic products

company, offers a broad line of minimally invasive surgical, as well as

non-surgical, products for the spine, reconstruction, and trauma market

sectors that address the lifelong bone-and-joint health needs of

patients of all ages, helping them achieve a more active and mobile

lifestyle. Orthofix's products are widely

distributed around the world to orthopedic surgeons and patients via

Orthofix's sales representatives and its

subsidiaries, including Breg, Inc. and Blackstone Medical, Inc., and via

partnerships with other leading orthopedic product companies, including

Kendall Healthcare. In addition, Orthofix is collaborating in R&D

partnerships with leading medical institutions such as the Orthopedic

Research and Education Foundation, Rutgers University, the Cleveland

Clinic Foundation, and National Osteoporosis Institute.

For more information about Orthofix, please visit www.orthofix.com.

About Texas Scottish Rite Hospital for Children

Texas Scottish Rite Hospital for Children is one of the nation's leading

pediatric centers for the treatment of orthopedic conditions, certain

related neurological disorders and learning disorders, such as dyslexia.

There is no charge to patient families for treatment at the hospital,

and admission is open to Texas children from birth to 18 years of age.

For more information, to volunteer or to make a donation, please call

(214) 559-5000 or (800) 421-1121 or visit www.tsrhc.org.

Forward-Looking Statements

This news release contains certain forward-looking statements under the

Private Securities Litigation Reform Act of 1995. These forward-looking

statements may include, but are not limited to, statements concerning

expectations associated with the development and distribution of

products involving Orthofix and its subsidiaries, and are based on

management's current expectations and

estimates and involve risks and uncertainties that could cause actual

results or outcomes to differ materially from those contemplated by the

forward-looking statements. Factors that could cause or contribute to

such differences may include, but are not limited to, unanticipated

expenditures, changing relationships with customers, suppliers and

strategic partners, risks relating to the protection of intellectual

property, changes to the reimbursement policies of third parties,

changes to governmental regulation of medical devices, the impact of

competitive products, changes to the competitive environment, the

acceptance of new products in the market, conditions of the orthopedic

industry and the economy and other factors described in the most recent

report on Form 10-K and other periodic reports filed by Orthofix with

the Securities and Exchange Commission.

Source: Business Wire

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