Smith & Nephew launches new FLOW 90™ Wand at ISAKOS joining its innovative collection of COBLATION™ technology and shoulder repair portfolios

LONDON, May 13, 2019 /PRNewswire/ -- Smith & Nephew (LSE: SN, NYSE: SNN), the global medical technology business, today announces the U.S. launch of the WEREWOLFâ„¢ FLOW 90 Wand with FLOW~IQâ„¢ Technology. Designed for use in the shoulder but indicated for use on all soft tissue types, the 90-degree wand was developed to use with the WEREWOLF COBLATION System.

Smith & Nephew's patented COBLATION technology has been shown to deliver faster patient recovery³ and better long-term patient outcomes^1,2 compared to mechanical debridement in the knee according to a level 1 randomized controlled trial carried out over 10 years.

"FLOW 90 was fantastic. It excels at rapid bulk tissue removal while remaining very precise. FLOW 90's triangular tip also enables you to do excellent dissection," commented Dr. Scott Trenhaile, Assistant Professor, Rush University Medical Center. "This combination of speed, control and dissection is unmatched by any other radio-frequency device, and is an exciting addition to the Smith & Nephew portfolio."

"We believe the FLOW 90 is quite simply the best wand Smith & Nephew has ever made and we're confident our customers will feel the same way once they experience it and see the results," said Brad Cannon, President of Sports Medicine & ENT, Smith & Nephew. "Our unique COBLATION technology continues to be the industry leading choice for arthroscopy and the FLOW 90 Wand is just the latest exciting addition to our growing portfolio of comprehensive shoulder solutions."

COBLATION technology creates and applies an energy field called 'glow discharge plasma', which acts to ablate molecules in the tissue. COBLATION technology operates at lower temperatures than other radio frequency-based technologies,⁶ allowing for precise removal of soft tissue with minimal damage to untargeted tissue.⁷

For more information visit: www.werewolfcoblation.com         

References

1. Spahn, G, Klinger HM, Mückley T, Hofmann GO. Four-Year Results From a Randomized Controlled Study of Knee Chondroplasty With Concomitant Medial Meniscectomy: Mechanical Debridement Versus Radiofrequency Chondroplasty. Arthroscopy: The Journal of Arthroscopic and Related Surgery, Vol 26, No 9 (September, Suppl 1), 2010: pp S73-S80. DOI 10.1016/j.arthro.2010.02.030.
2. Spahn G, Hofmann GO, von Engelhardt LV. Mechanical Debridement Versus Radiofrequency in Knee Chondroplasty with Concomitant Medial Meniscectomy: 10-year Results from a Randomized Controlled Study. Knee Surg Sports Traumatol Arthrosc. DOI 10.1007/s00167-015-3810-6. Epub 2015 October 1.
3. Spahn G, Kahl E, Mückley T, Hofmann GO, Klinger HM. Arthroscopic Knee Chondroplasty using a Bipolar Radiofrequency-based Device Compared to Mechanical Shaver: Results of a Prospective, Randomized, Controlled Study. Knee Surg Sports Traumatol Arthrosc (2008) 16:565–573. DOI 10.1007/s00167-008-0506-1. Epub 2008 March 8.
4. Gharaibeh, M., Szomor A., Chen D.B. & MacDessi, S.J. 2017. Cartilage. A Retrospective Study Assessing Safety and Efficacy of Bipolar Radiofrequency Ablation for Knee Chondral Lesions. Cartilage. 2017 Apr 1. [Epub ahead of print]
5. Voloshin, I., Morse K.R., Allred, C.D., Bissell, S.A., Maloney, M.D. & DeHaven, K.E. Arthroscopic evaluation of radiofrequency chondroplasty of the knee. American Journal of Sports Medicine. 2007; 35: 1702-1707.
6. Woloszko J, Kwende M, Stalder K. COBLATION in Otolaryngology. Proceedings of the SPIE. 2003; 341: 341-352.
7. Amiel D, Ball S, Tasto J. Chondrocyte Viability and Metabolic Activity After Treatment of Bovine Articular Cartilage With Bipolar Radiofrequency: An In Vitro Study. Arthroscopy. 2004; 5(20): 503-510

About Smith & Nephew

Smith & Nephew is a portfolio medical technology business with leadership positions in Orthopaedics, Advanced Wound Management and Sports Medicine. Smith & Nephew has more than 16,000 employees and a presence in more than 100 countries. Annual sales in 2018 were $4.9 billion. Smith & Nephew is a member of the FTSE100 (LSE:SN, NYSE:SNN). For more information about Smith & Nephew, please visit our corporate website www.smith-nephew.com and follow us on Twitter, LinkedIn or Facebook.

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