Smith+Nephew (LSE:SN, NYSE:SNN), the global medical technology company, announces a breakthrough in RF resection technology for hip with its new FLOW FLEXTEND COBLATION Wand. Designed as an extension of its proprietary FLOW~IQ^◊ technology with an adjustable-angle tip, the FLOW FLEXTEND Wand is designed to give surgeons enhanced joint access^1* and precise tissue targeting³ for hard-to-reach hip, knee and shoulder anatomies.

Determining the root cause of a patient’s hip pain can be very challenging and repairs are procedurally complex. Current wand offerings - such as knee wands that have simply been made longer – fall short of surgeons’ needs for an improved option to better access all targeted tissues. The FLOW FLEXTEND Wand solves this unmet need with a wand designed by hip surgeons specifically for hip procedures with features including:

• Proprietary, high performing FLOW~IQ Technology: Clinically and commercially validated since 2016, FLOW~IQ Technology automatically balances saline outflow with COBLATION energy, delivering exceptional precision or speed^2,4** based on clinical need.
  
  
• Precision electrode design with adjustable-angle tip: Designed to improve and expand access^1* to targeted tissues while facilitating insertion and removal by straightening the shaft.
  
  
• Set and forget angle adjustment mechanism: Once a desired angle is set, the surgeon may release their hand from the mechanism without touching it again unless required for further adjustments.⁵

Feedback from the surgeon community using the FLOW FLEXTEND COBLATION Wand for the first time has been encouraging:

Dr. Joshua D. Harris, Orthopedic Surgeon at Houston Methodist specializing in sports medicine and hip preservation commented, “The articulation gives the FLOW FLEXTEND COBLATION Wand a significant advantage, and a lot more versatility in the central compartment without capsular disruption than any of the other instruments I have used before.”

Dr. Jovan Laskovski, Orthopaedic Surgeon at Crystal Clinic Orthopaedic Center added, “The FLOW FLEXTEND COBLATION Wand’s tip geometry - and the fact that it’s flexible - allows for a precise capsule-to-labrum recess and preservation of the capsule.”

The FLOW FLEXTEND Wand utilizes Smith+Nephew’s proprietary COBLATION Technology - clinically proven to improve patient outcomes compared to mechanical debridement.^6-8† Continuing to evolve over three decades of research and innovation, including refined wand designs, improved delivery systems and expanded indications, COBLATION Technology continues to set the gold standard for resection.