Smith & Nephew receives FDA approval for Birmingham Hip Resurfacing System

By E. Janene Geiss

Philadelphia, May 10 - Smith & Nephew announced Wednesday that the Food and Drug Administration has approved the Birmingham Hip Resurfacing system for use in the United States, making it the only approved system available for use in this country.

Hip resurfacing is an alternative to total hip replacement for patients suffering from abnormalities of the hip, including osteoarthritis, officials said in a company news release.

The Birmingham Hip Resurfacing system conserves more of a patient's bone than a traditional hip replacement, enabling younger, more active patients to undergo hip replacement surgery while preserving all future surgery options, including a primary hip replacement, officials said.

The system's design also offers patients a better range of natural motion with a reduced risk of dislocation, the company said.

The system was first introduced in July 1997 in the United Kingdom and has now been implanted in more than 60,000 patients in 26 countries, officials said.

The company said it will be training 50 surgeons in the first phase of the U.S. introduction. Training will be provided in the United States and Europe, with the first U.S. surgeries expected to take place this summer.

Smith & Nephew is a London-based medical technology business, specializing in orthopaedic reconstruction, orthopaedic trauma and clinical therapies, endoscopy and advanced wound management products.

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