YORK, England, December 16, 2010 /PRNewswire/ -- The National Institute for Health and Clinical Excellence (NICE) has advised healthcare professionals in the UK that the use of low intensity pulsed ultrasound (LIPUS) technology represents a safe and effective treatment option to reduce the healing time in patients with bone fractures(1).

NICE concluded that LIPUS technology provides clear clinical benefit, particularly in patients experiencing delayed healing and non-union fractures. The recommendation was made following analysis of clinical data from over 1900 patients via a meta-analysis of 13 individual randomised controlled trials (RCTs), information from additional RCTs and registry data, plus specialist guidance from the British Orthopaedic Association (BOA) and British Limb Reconstruction Society (BLRS).

Smith & Nephew's EXOGEN is indicated in Europe to accelerate the healing of fractures and to heal bones that have either delayed healing or stopped healing completely (non-unions).[i] EXOGEN has shown to heal 86 per cent of non-union fractures(2) and accelerate the healing of fresh fractures up to 38 per cent faster than normal(3,4). Since the technology was launched in 1997, it has been used successfully to heal fractures in hundreds of thousands of patients worldwide.

"Today's guidance from NICE shows that low intensity pulsed ultrasound is safe and has clear clinical benefits for patients with fractured bones, especially those with or at risk of complications. I would encourage healthcare professionals to utilise this important technology to promote faster and more reliable healing of their injuries," said Mr Angus MacLean, Consultant Orthopaedic Surgeon at Glasgow Royal Infirmary, Scotland.

"Doctors aim to return patients to normal function as soon as possible following injury. EXOGEN is a treatment which is scientifically proven to contribute to achieving this aim and can reduce the need for painful surgery required as a result of poor or slow fracture healing, which I encounter every day.

"By preventing complications before they occur and by accelerating healing there is significant potential for this technology to actually save money for the NHS and the public purse by reducing the need for surgery and returning patients to work more quickly than before(5). Cost and clinical effectiveness make a potential 'win-win' situation for the NHS and the patient. I am convinced that today's announcement represents a significant advance in patient care," added Mr MacLean.

Non-union fractures are defined as the point when bone healing has stopped and will not proceed without some type of intervention. Three studies conducted on non-union fractures demonstrated that use of EXOGEN for 20 minutes per day, with no other change in treatment, was highly successful for a wide range of bones (with the exception of skull and vertebrae and different types of fracture irrespective of the type of orthopaedic fracture management.

"Naturally, we are delighted at this positive guidance," said John Everett, Vice President Commercial Operations, Smith & Nephew. "The ultrasound technology utilised by EXOGEN can help the healing of fractures, but most importantly it is the patient that really stands to benefit by potentially avoiding further intervention and reducing their time to heal."

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