Smith & Nephew : and Imperial College partner to develop enhanced surgical techniques in Sports Medicine

5 September 2017

Smith & Nephew (LSE:SN, NYSE:SNN), the global medical technology business, is pleased to announce it is partnering with Imperial College London to develop enhanced surgical techniques relating to ligament function, biomechanics and soft tissue injuries of the knee, including the most common injuries of torn menisci and anterior cruciate ligament rupture.

The three-year partnership with the Department of Mechanical Engineering at Imperial College London will focus on biomechanical research into extra-articular ligaments and their functions whilst gaining valuable insight into the meniscus, the cartilage disk acting as a cushion between femur and tibia. The meniscus has limited healing capabilities, with some injuries increasing the chances of arthritis amongst other debilitating conditions.

'The partnership with Smith & Nephew is priceless for our work. It allows a strategic attack on the unanswered biomechanical issues in knee surgery. Knowing funding is secure for three years allows a step by step 'due diligence' approach to investigating these issues rather than sporadic studies. This is the best way to translate from the lab to patient care' said Mr Andy Williams, Lead Surgical Researcher, Imperial College London and Fortius Clinic.

It is anticipated that the partnership will increase understanding of the role of biomechanics in improving knee stability.

Andy Weymann, Chief Medical Officer, Smith & Nephew, commented: 'Meniscus repair is one of the greatest challenges of Sports Medicine. By combining the clinical expertise of Imperial College with our pioneering approach to new product development we expect to be able both to advance surgical techniques and accelerate the development of next generation products.'

The partnership is being funded by a $1 million grant from Smith & Nephew.

Professor Andrew Amis, Professor of Orthopaedic Biomechanics and leader of The Biomechanics Group, Imperial College London, said: 'This programme grant will allow us to follow through on our ideas from basic anatomy through to design and testing of novel operative procedures to treat sports injuries of the knee. To be working alongside Smith & Nephew at the forefront of Sports Medicine is an exciting prospect.'

This partnership follows a recent announcement that Smith & Nephew have entered a long-term collaboration with The University of Hull driving research into pioneering approaches to advanced wound care and in doing so creating one of the largest wound care R&D clusters in the world.

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About Smith & Nephew

Smith & Nephew is a global medical technology business dedicated to helping healthcare professionals improve people's lives. With leadership positions in Orthopaedic Reconstruction, Advanced Wound Management, Sports Medicine and Trauma & Extremities, Smith & Nephew has more than 15,000 employees and a presence in more than 100 countries. Annual sales in 2016 were almost $4.7 billion. Smith & Nephew is a member of the FTSE100 (LSE:SN, NYSE:SNN).

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