UTICA, NY, Jan 03, 2012 (MARKETWIRE via COMTEX) --CONMED Corporation (NASDAQ: CNMD) and the Musculoskeletal Transplant Foundation (MTF), the world's largest tissue bank, have announced that CONMED's subsidiary, CONMED Linvatec, will serve as the exclusive world-wide marketing representative for MTF's sports medicine allograft tissues. Additionally, CONMED Linvatec will assume responsibility for the world-wide distribution of MTF's Cascade Platelet-Rich Plasma (PRP) product, which uses a patient's own blood components to aid in the healing process.

Sports medicine arthroscopy is CONMED's largest single product franchise, comprising approximately 40% of the Company's sales. CONMED is an industry leader, providing a full range of surgical solutions for the repair of soft tissue injuries usually caused by sports activities. MTF is dedicated to providing quality allograft tissue through a commitment to excellence in education, research, recovery, and care for recipients, donors and their families. It is a national consortium comprised of academic medical institutions, organ procurement organizations and tissue recovery organizations. It is committed to delivering the highest level of service to donors and their families, as well as recipients and surgeons.

The long-term agreement is effective on January 3, 2012. MTF will provide CONMED a portion of its service revenue for the activities associated with educating and consulting with surgeons and medical facilities. CONMED's portion of the service revenue is expected to be accretive to 2012 earnings by approximately $0.15 - $0.18 per share. CONMED will make certain payments to MTF over the next four years for the rights to promote MTF sports tissues, based on particular levels of tissue supply being maintained.

"We are pleased to enter this alliance with CONMED Linvatec," said Mr. Bruce Stroever, President and Chief Executive Officer of the MTF. "We are impressed with their commitment to educating medical professionals in the latest sports medicine repair techniques, the breadth of their product line and their significant leadership position in the industry."

"We are excited to work side-by-side with MTF in educating the medical community about allograft tissue for sports medicine applications," stated Mr. Joseph J. Corasanti, President and CEO of CONMED Corporation. "MTF is the premier source for allografts. When coupled with the full range of CONMED's surgical devices, we will offer orthopedic surgeons the most complete range of sports medicine repair options in the industry. This agreement should serve to advance our already strong position within sports medicine, as well as provide a significant boost to our long-term sales and earnings."

In accordance with MTF's commitment to the stewardship of the donated gift, the organization will maintain full responsibility for all activities related to donor suitability, quality acceptance, processing, storage, and distribution of the tissue, as well as reimbursement of service fees related to the sports medicine allografts. CONMED Linvatec's team of surgical representatives will serve as the educational resource to surgeons and facilities concerning the suitability of MTF allografts for ligament reconstruction, cartilage repair and meniscal transplantation, as well as for biologic solutions, including scaffolds and fixation devices. Upon the close of the agreement, the current 35 employees of the MTF sports medicine marketing and surgical consultant group will become employees of CONMED Linvatec.

CONMED profile CONMED is a medical technology company with an emphasis on surgical devices and equipment for minimally invasive procedures and patient monitoring. The Company's products serve the clinical areas of arthroscopy, powered surgical instruments, electrosurgery, cardiac monitoring disposables, endosurgery and endoscopic technologies. They are used by surgeons and physicians in a variety of specialties including orthopedics, general surgery, gynecology, neurosurgery and gastroenterology. Headquartered in Utica, New York, the Company's 3,400 employees distribute its products worldwide from several manufacturing locations.

Forward Looking Information

This press release contains forward-looking statements based on certain assumptions and contingencies that involve risks and uncertainties. The forward-looking statements are made pursuant to the safe harbor provisions of the Private Securities Litigation Reform Act of 1995 and relate to the Company's performance on a going-forward basis. The forward-looking statements in this press release involve risks and uncertainties which could cause actual results, performance or trends, to differ materially from those expressed in the forward-looking statements herein or in previous disclosures. The Company believes that all forward-looking statements made by it have a reasonable basis, but there can be no assurance that management's expectations, beliefs or projections as expressed in the forward-looking statements will actually occur or prove to be correct. In addition to general industry and economic conditions, factors that could cause actual results to differ materially from those discussed in the forward-looking statements in this press release include, but are not limited to: (i) the failure of any one or more of the assumptions stated above, to prove to be correct; (ii) the risks relating to forward-looking statements discussed in the Company's Annual Report on Form 10-K for the fiscal year ended December 31, 2010; (iii) cyclical purchasing patterns from customers, end-users and dealers; (iv) timely release of new products, and acceptance of such new products by the market; (v) the introduction of new products by competitors and other competitive responses; (vi) the possibility that any new acquisition or other transaction may require the Company to reconsider its financial assumptions and goals/targets; (vii) the risk of a lack of allograft tissues due to reduced donations of such tissues or due to tissues not meeting the appropriate high standards for screening and/or processing of such tissues; and/or (viii) the Company's ability to devise and execute strategies to respond to market conditions.

CONTACT:
CONMED Corporation
Robert Shallish
Chief Financial Officer
315-624-3206

FTI Consulting, Inc.
Investors:
Brian Ritchie
212-850-5600

SOURCE: CONMED Corporation