CLEVELAND, Feb. 21 /PRNewswire/ -- The Cleveland Clinic and Stryker Corporation, one of the world’s largest medical device manufacturers, announced today the formation of a strategic alliance to develop orthopaedic operating rooms of the future.
Under terms of the 10-year alliance, Stryker will support The Cleveland Clinic in developing, testing and advancing image-guided surgery systems and other advanced orthopaedic surgical technologies to improve patient care. In addition, Stryker personnel will help educate and train Clinic physicians and other medical professionals in the use of these technologies. Financial terms of the alliance were not disclosed.
“This alliance provides a support mechanism for the Clinic’s technology development and commercialization activities in the advancement of orthopaedic surgery, a field that is growing exponentially in response to the aging population,” said Joseph Hahn, M.D., a surgeon and chairman of CCF Innovations, The Cleveland Clinic’s technology commercialization arm. “Collaborating with Stryker enables the Clinic’s orthopaedic surgeons to build upon their technological knowledge and experience in image-guided surgery and advance research in this field for the benefit of patients.”
Stryker and The Cleveland Clinic will develop an undetermined number of high-tech orthopaedic operating rooms with fully integrated technological capabilities, including navigation systems, minimally invasive surgery equipment and communication platforms.
Three state-of-the-art orthopaedic operating rooms are under construction at The Cleveland Clinic. The rooms are being equipped with the latest operative technology and instrumentation, including arthroscopy equipment and operative navigation systems for computer-assisted knee and hip replacement procedures. Demand for these procedures is expected to increase between 10 and 15 percent per year for the next 40 years in response to the growing elderly population.
The Cleveland Clinic brings to the collaboration a world-renowned Department of Orthopaedic Surgery, ranked among the nation’s top five orthopaedics departments in 2004 by U.S. News & World Report. The Clinic will serve as a premier site for Stryker to showcase its latest technologies while collaborating with the Clinic on research and the development of new products and clinical applications.
“This strategic alliance will allow us to perform more innovative procedures more effectively and efficiently,” said Joseph P. Iannotti, M.D., Ph.D., chairman of the Department of Orthopaedic Surgery at The Cleveland Clinic. “It is a reflection of our strength in the field of orthopaedics and our continued effort to deliver world-class care to our patients and their families.”
Stryker Corporation offers the most broadly based products and services in the worldwide orthopaedic industry. It also has a rapidly growing presence in other healthcare specialties and is one of the world’s largest medical device companies. Stryker delivers results through a wide range of capabilities, including joint replacements, trauma, spine and micro implant systems, orthobiologics, powered surgical instruments, surgical navigation systems and endoscopic products as well as patient handling and emergency medical equipment. Stryker also provides outpatient physical therapy services in the United States. The company’s website address is http://www.stryker.com/ .
The Cleveland Clinic Foundation, located in Cleveland, Ohio, is a not-for- profit multispecialty academic medical center that integrates clinical and hospital care with research and education. The Cleveland Clinic was founded in 1921 by four renowned physicians with a vision of providing outstanding patient care based upon the principles of cooperation, compassion and innovation. U.S. News & World Report consistently names The Cleveland Clinic as one of the nation’s best hospitals in its annual “America’s Best Hospitals” survey. Approximately 1,200 full-time salaried physicians at The Cleveland Clinic and Cleveland Clinic Florida represent more than 100 medical specialties and subspecialties. In 2003, patients came for treatment from every state and nearly 90 countries. The Cleveland Clinic website address is http://www.clevelandclinic.org/ .
The Cleveland Clinic Foundation
CONTACT: Raquel Santiago, +1-216-444-4235, or Eileen Caruso Sheil,+1-216-444-8927, both of The Cleveland Clinic Foundation