SUNNYVALE, Calif., Jan. 15 /PRNewswire-FirstCall/ -- Kyphon Inc. today announced that Richard Mott, Kyphon’s president and chief executive officer, and Dr. Harvinder Sandhu, attending orthopaedic spine surgeon at the Hospital for Special Surgery and Cornell Medical Center in New York, will be interviewed together on American Health Radio, the nationally- syndicated health radio program hosted by Scott Broder. The program will include questions from listeners on the role of the Functional Anaesthetic Discography(TM) Procedure in diagnosing the source of low back pain.
During the show, Dr. Sandhu will discuss the importance of correct diagnosis of the source of back pain prior to recommending a patient’s treatment plan. Despite advances in treatment of back pain ranging from physical therapy and rehabilitation to spine surgery, the ability to simply understand the underlying source of low back pain remains of critical importance. With a minimally invasive test known as Functional Anaesthetic Discography(TM) (F.A.D.(TM)), additional diagnostic information may complement the physical exam, history and the patient characteristics, enabling physicians to better assess which treatment options may be appropriate for a patient.
The program will air live at 6:00 p.m. Central Time on Monday, January 15, 2007 and can be accessed at www.wrmn1410.com. A replay of the program will be available on Wednesday, January 17 at 8:00 p.m. Central Time and on Friday, January 19 at 6:00 p.m. Central Time. Repeat broadcasts will also available at www.healthradionetwork.com.
About the Functional Anaesthetic Discography(TM) Procedure
The F.A.D. procedure is a minimally invasive test for diagnosing the source of low back pain. The test is performed in the spinal discs that are suspected of causing pain. Under X-ray guidance and light sedation, a small device called the Discyphor(TM) Catheter is inserted into each of the suspected discs and anchored in place with a tiny balloon. Upon recovering from the sedation, the patient recreates his or her back pain by performing the activities that usually cause back pain. A small amount of local anaesthetic is then injected through the Discyphor(TM) Catheter into the patient’s discs, one disc at a time and the patient again performs the activities that usually cause back pain. If the injection into a specific disc relieves the patient’s back pain, the disc can be further evaluated for potential treatment. If the test does not relieve the patient’s pain, the clinician is able to determine that the pain might be caused by a different disc or other condition altogether.
About Kyphon Inc.
Kyphon develops and markets medical devices designed to restore spinal function and diagnose low back pain using minimally invasive technologies. The company’s products are used in balloon kyphoplasty for the treatment of spinal fractures caused by osteoporosis or cancer, and in the Functional Anaesthetic Discography procedure for diagnosing the source of low back pain. More information about the company and its products can be found at www.kyphon.com and its patient education Web site, www.spinalfracture.com.
Discyphor, Functional Anaesthetic Discography and F.A.D. are trademarks, and Kyphon and KyphX are registered trademarks, of Kyphon Inc.
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Kyphon Inc.
CONTACT: Investors and Media: Julie D. Tracy, Vice President, InvestorRelations and Corporate Marketing, +1-408-548-6687, jtracy@kyphon.com