Johnson & Johnson (NYSE:JNJ) subsidiary DePuy Synthes said today it inked a deal to acquire the assets of Medical Enterprises Distribution, including its automated ME1000 surgical impactor designed for hip replacements, for an undisclosed amount.
DePuy said that it expects the deal to close during the second quarter of this year, and that the deal is still subject to antitrust and other closing conditions.
Medical Enterprises Distribution’s ME1000 is a battery-powered device designed for automated bone preparation, implant assembly and positioning during total hip arthroplasty procedures, DePuy Synthes said. The system is designed to replace the use of handheld mallets for more consistent clinical outcomes and reduced surgeon fatigue.
“The role that automation and digital technology are playing in orthopaedics, including joint replacement surgery, is tremendous, and our goal is to be at the forefront of providing surgeons with innovative and differentiated solutions that help increase efficiency as well as generate more predictable and reproducible patient outcomes. The acquisition of assets of Medical Enterprises Distribution is a key example of going beyond the implant to provide complete solutions to achieve better outcomes,” DePuy Synthes company group chair Ciro Rӧmer said in a press release.
DePuy Synthes said that the ME1000 can be used in a number of different surgical approaches, including the anterior approach. The company added that it has plans to develop and broaden the surgical impactor technology for different orthopedic surgery procedures.
In January, DePuy Synthes touted results from a systemic review of prospective studies comparing postoperative outcomes of both anterior and posterior approaches to total hip arthroplasty procedures.
