Smith+Nephew steps forward with innovative Sports Medicine foot & ankle repair solutions in Australia and New Zealand

First in market to offer Adjustable Tensioning Technology* for insertional Achilles reconstruction and lateral ankle instability repair

*After anchor insertion

Smith+Nephew (LSE:SN, NYSE:SNN), the global medical technology company, today announces the launch of a comprehensive foot & ankle repair portfolio in Australia and New Zealand (ANZ) with proprietary adjustable tensioning technology. The ULTRABRIDGE^◊ Adjustable Achilles Reconstruction and ULTRABRACE^◊ Adjustable Ankle Instability Techniques are changing the way foot & ankle surgeons perform these repairs by allowing them to refine and optimise suture tension after anchor insertion.

The ability to adjust tension for specific patients allows the surgeon to give the precise amount of range-of-motion to that patient depending on the patient’s level of activity. The surgeon can check and revise the repair construct before locking the suture, which may help restore normal anatomy and deliver potentially better outcomes for the patient.

The new foot & ankle portfolio also includes Smith+Nephew’s best-in-class all suture anchor with consistent deployment and strong fixation, now integrated with needles for open procedures. The anchor inserter tensions the device on deployment, ensuring consistency every time.

“Both Australians and New Zealanders are very physically active, with sports and active recreation participation rates exceeding 75%.¹ Our portfolio of foot & ankle solutions represents a truly groundbreaking introduction for today’s athletes by offering adjustable tensioning technology after anchor insertion, which is not currently available in the ANZ market,” said Mr. Joaquin Lasso, SVP of Sports Medicine, International Markets for Smith+Nephew. “This technology allows surgeons to personalise their treatment for each patient and returns them to living their Life Unlimited.”

Each year, around 230,000 Australians see a General Practitioner for an ankle sprain or strain.² To learn more about Smith+Nephew’s global foot & ankle solutions please visit here. 

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Media Enquiries

Dave Snyder          +1 (978) 749-1440 

Smith+Nephew      david.snyder@smith-nephew.com

References

• We Reveal The World’s Sportiest Countries | Which Nation Will Take First Place? – MYPROTEIN™
• NPS MedicineWise Ankle sprains: 10 things you should know

About Smith+Nephew

Smith+Nephew is a portfolio medical technology business 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 18,000 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 business units 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 $5.5 billion in 2023. 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.

For more information about Smith+Nephew, please visit www.smith-nephew.com and follow us on X, LinkedIn, Instagram or Facebook.

Forward-looking Statements

This document may contain forward-looking statements that may or may not prove accurate. For example, statements regarding expected revenue growth and trading profit margins, market trends and our product pipeline are forward-looking statements. Phrases such as “aim”, “plan”, “intend”, “anticipate”, “well-placed”, “believe”, “estimate”, “expect”, “target”, “consider” and similar expressions are generally intended to identify forward-looking statements. Forward-looking statements involve known and unknown risks, uncertainties and other important factors that could cause actual results to differ materially from what is expressed or implied by the statements. For Smith+Nephew, these factors include: conflicts in Europe and the Middle East, economic and financial conditions in the markets we serve, especially those affecting healthcare providers, payers and customers; price levels for established and innovative medical devices; developments in medical technology; regulatory approvals, reimbursement decisions or other government actions; product defects or recalls or other problems with quality management systems or failure to comply with related regulations; litigation relating to patent or other claims; legal and financial compliance risks and related investigative, remedial or enforcement actions; disruption to our supply chain or operations or those of our suppliers; competition for qualified personnel; strategic actions, including acquisitions and disposals, our success in performing due diligence, valuing and integrating acquired businesses; disruption that may result from transactions or other changes we make in our business plans or organisation to adapt to market developments; relationships with healthcare professionals; reliance on information technology and cybersecurity; disruptions due to natural disasters, weather and climate change related events; changes in customer and other stakeholder sustainability expectations; changes in taxation regulations; effects of foreign exchange volatility; and numerous other matters that affect us or our markets, including those of a political, economic, business, competitive or reputational nature. Please refer to the documents that Smith+Nephew has filed with the U.S. Securities and Exchange Commission under the U.S. Securities Exchange Act of 1934, as amended, including Smith+Nephew’s most recent annual report on Form 20-F, which is available on the SEC’s website at www. sec.gov, for a discussion of certain of these factors. Any forward-looking statement is based on information available to Smith+Nephew as of the date of the statement. All written or oral forward-looking statements attributable to Smith+Nephew are qualified by this caution. Smith+Nephew does not undertake any obligation to update or revise any forward-looking statement to reflect any change in circumstances or in Smith+Nephew’s expectations.

^◊ Trademark of Smith+Nephew. Certain marks registered in US Patent and Trademark Office.