Traditional hip-fracture surgery can require a 5-inch-long incision down the thigh, but the new PC.CP System involves two smaller incisions, each less than one inch long.A new Israeli-developed method which greatly enhances the chances of hip surgery patients to fully regain their pre-operative mobility is soon to be available for American patients.

The Gotfried Percutaneous Compression Plating (PC.CP) System is a new minimally invasive method of fracture stabilization and fixation for hip-fracture surgery.The method was developed by Dr. Yechiel Gotfried, of the B’nai Zion Medical Center, in Haifa.

Recently published papers detailing clinical results using currently available systems indicate that only 40% of patients regain their pre-operative mobility. In contrast, the PC.CP System has been shown to increase this percentage to 83%.

For example, in a clinical study of 118 patients ranging in age from 58-98 years whose hip-fracture surgery utilized the PC.CP System, 83 percent of the 94 surviving patients had regained independent mobility within 6 months of surgery.

Traditional hip-fracture surgery can require a 5-inch-long incision down the thigh, but the new PC.CP System involves two smaller incisions, each less than one inch long. The PC.CP System then allows a surgeon to work around most muscles and tendons rather than cutting through them.

“Hip fractures represent a major orthopedic challenge for surgeons. This new approach is a minimally invasive method of operating on hip fractures with less pain and rehab time, and better results, for the patient,” said Charlie Federico, President and CEO of Orthofix International, NV, a US publicly traded company that has entered into an exclusive distribution agreement to market the product.

“This new hip fracture rationale truly complements our current product offerings, which include many minimally invasive orthopedic devices, and our direct sales force is very anxious to begin getting this into the hands of surgeons,” he added.

Major benefits of this new approach to hip-fracture surgery include:

* a significant reduction of complications due to a less traumatic operative procedure.

* reduced blood loss and less pain (important benefits for an already fragile and usually elderly patient population, often with other medical problems).

* patients are able to rehabilitate much faster, often able to bear weight a few days after the operation, with improved post- operative results.

According to the trade magazine Orthopedic Network News the $500 million hip fracture market is growing at a rate of 15 percent annually. The agreement provides Orthofix with the opportunity to license the product worldwide, and the right to purchase the technology.