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NYU LANGONE MEDICAL CENTER'S HOSPITAL FOR JOINT DISEASES OFFERS S.T.A.R. ANKLE REPLACEMENT TECHNOLOGY

Three-piece, mobile-bearing ankle offers pain relief, greater mobility to severe arthritis patients

NEW YORK, NY: May 04, 2010 –The Hospital for Joint Diseases at NYU Langone Medical Center (HJD) now offers patients the Scandinavian Total Ankle Replacement system, or S.T.A.R. Ankle, for the surgical treatment of moderate to severe ankle pain, loss of mobility and/or loss of function due to post-traumatic, primary, or rheumatoid arthritis of the ankle. This innovative, three-piece, mobile-bearing-based ankle replacement technology is the only total ankle replacement technology that has received pre-market approval from the U.S. Food & Drug Administration (FDA) that does not require the use of bone cement. In clinical trials, S.T.A.R. patients had superior effectiveness and comparable safety results compared to ankle fusion. 

“We are excited to be able to offer this ankle replacement option to our patients suffering from moderate to severe pain as a result of arthritis,” said Steven Sheskier, MD, clinical assistant professor of orthopaedic surgery at HJD. “The S.T.A.R. Ankle represents the next generation of ankle replacement prosthesis that will allow patients to benefit from quicker recovery times and better long-term success rates than previous ankle replacement procedures.”

Worldwide, more than 16,000 patients have already received the S.T.A.R. Ankle implant. HJD is the first hospital in the greater New York area to offer the procedure, led by orthopaedic surgeons Kenneth J. Mroczek, MD, Cary Chapman, MD and Steven Sheskier, MD. Patients can learn more about this procedure and scheduling an appointment by calling 877-224-3201 or going to www.NYULMC.org/ortho."

The S.T.A.R. Ankle is offered by Small Bone Innovations, Inc. (SBi), one of the first companies to focus purely on small bone and joint science. SBi was founded in 2004 by Anthony, John and Marc Viscogliosi, principals of Viscogliosi Brothers, LLC, the first venture capital/private equity and merchant banking firm dedicated to the musculoskeletal/orthopaedics sector of the healthcare industry. Anthony G. Viscogliosi, founder, chairman and CEO of Small Bone Innovations, Inc. is on the Advisory Board of HJD.

Small Bone Innovations, Inc. (SBi)

was founded in 2004 by Viscogliosi Brothers, LLC, (VB), a New York-based merchant banking firm that specializes in the musculoskeletal/orthopedics sector. VB created SBi as the first company to focus purely on small bones & joints. By integrating established companies and professionals in the field, SBi offers a broad, clinically proven portfolio of products and technologies to treat trauma and diseases in small bones & joints. Today, SBi has facilities in New York, NY, Morrisville, PA, Bourg-en-Bresse, France, Donaueschingen, Germany, and Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia.

For more information on SBi, please visit : www.totalsmallbone.com

Forward-looking statements (SBi)

This news release contains forward-looking statements as defined in the U.S. Private Securities Litigation Reform Act of 1995. Readers are cautioned not to place undue reliance on these forward-looking statements. Actual results may differ materially from those indicated by these forward-looking statements as a result of risks and uncertainties impacting SBi's business including increased competition; the ability of SBi to expand its operations and to attract and retain qualified professionals; technological obsolescence; general economic conditions; and other risks.

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