News Release

ArthroCare's Minimally Invasive Spinal Procedure Featured At North American Spine Society Meeting; Symposium On Nucleoplasty Includes Three Physician Presentations

SUNNYVALE, Calif., Nov 1, 2001 (BW HealthWire) -- ArthroCare Corporation (Nasdaq:ARTC) today announced that a symposium on Nucleoplasty(TM), the company's proprietary technique for percutaneous disc decompression for treating contained herniated discs, will be offered during the North American Spine Society meeting being held in Seattle, Washington from November 1-3. Three physicians experienced in the procedure will be featured speakers. Lewis Sharps, M.D., F.A.C.S, an orthopedic surgeon from Paoli, Penn., will discuss the history of disc decompression and report on his own clinical experience, including three- and six-month follow up data of a group of his patients treated with Nucleoplasty. Conor O'Neill, M.D., an anesthesiologist and spine interventionalist from Daly City, Calif., will describe how to perform a Nucleoplasty procedure and compare the procedure with other minimally invasive techniques. Way Yin, M.D., an anesthesiologist and spine interventionalist from Bellingham, Wash., will present his research into percutaneous disc decompression, including histology and clinical outcomes of Nucleoplasty in a variety of disc procedures. "In my opinion, Nucleoplasty is the first minimally invasive spine procedure that not only combines excellent clinical results with a high margin of safety, but also provides the physician and patient with a fast procedure that is virtually painless," said Dr. Sharps. "In our recently completed clinical outcome study, Nucleoplasty has been shown to be highly effective in treating the symptoms associated with contained herniated discs," said Yung Chen, M.D., director of the Interventional Spine Center at Stanford University. "In addition, cadaver spine research conducted at our center has demonstrated a marked decrease in disc pressure secondary to Nucleoplasty, which could be the mechanism for the promising clinical results." The Nucleoplasty technique, based on ArthroCare's Coblation(R) technology, was introduced for minimally invasive treatment of contained herniated discs in June, 2000. The company estimates more than 3,000 Nucleoplasty procedures have been performed to date. Publication of clinical results is pending. For more information about ArthroCare's minimally invasive and open spine surgery procedures, visit the company at booth No. 825 at NASS, or ArthroCare's Nucleoplasty website, www.nucleoplasty.com. About ArthroCare ArthroCare's products allow surgeons to operate with a high level of precision and control, limiting damage to surrounding tissue. The company's products operate at lower temperatures than traditional electrosurgical or laser surgery tools and enable surgeons to remove, thermally modify, or sculpt soft tissue and to seal bleeding vessels. ArthroCare is a medical device company that develops, manufactures and markets products based on its patented Coblation technology. ArthroCare's soft-tissue surgery systems consist of a controller unit and an assortment of single-use disposable devices that are specialized for specific types of surgery. The company believes its Coblation technology can replace the multiple surgical tools traditionally used in soft-tissue surgery with one multi-purpose surgical system. Coblation technology is applicable across many soft-tissue surgical markets. The company's strategy includes applying its patented Coblation technology to a broad range of soft-tissue surgical markets, including arthroscopic surgery, cosmetic surgery, ear, nose and throat surgery, spinal surgery, neurosurgery, general and gynecological surgery (including open and laparoscopic approaches), and various cardiology applications. The company's website is www.arthrocare.com. Safe Harbor Statements Except for historical information, this press release includes forward-looking statements. These statements include, but are not limited to the company's belief in the success of novel surgical procedures, the company's belief that certain surgical products and procedures will enhance achievement of the company's long term potential, the possibility of market penetration in certain markets, the continued rate of growth of certain products sets, and other statements that involve risks and uncertainties. These risks and uncertainties include, but are not limited to the uncertainty of success of the company's non-arthroscopic products, competitive risk, and the uncertainty of protecting the company's patent position. These and other risks and uncertainties are detailed from time to time in the company's Securities and Exchange Commission filings, including ArthroCare's Form 10-K for the year ended December 30, 2000 and the Form 10-Q for the quarter ended June 30, 2001. Forward-looking statements are indicated by words or phrases such as "anticipates", "estimates", "projects", "believes", "intends", "expects", and similar words and phrases. Actual results may differ materially from management plans. CONTACT: ArthroCare Corporation Christine Hanni, 408/736-0224 Chief Financial Officer URL: http://www.businesswire.com Today's News On The Net - Business Wire's full file on the Internet with Hyperlinks to your home page. Copyright (C) 2001 Business Wire. All rights reserved.