Dornier MedTech announces market availability of revolutionary shock wave therapy device for debilitating foot pain affecting millions of Americans

Recently FDA-Approved Epos Ultra is First to Deliver Fast, Ultrasound Guided Relief for the often Disabling Pain of Plantar Fasciitis

ATLANTA, GA - April 4, 2002 - Dornier MedTech, inventors of extracorporeal shock wave therapy (ESWT), today announced that the newly FDA-approved Epos Ultra device is now commercially available for the treatment of plantar fasciitis (plantar fash-e-i-tis).

Commonly referred to as heel spurs, plantar fasciitis is a painful and often debilitating condition that afflicts more than 2.5 million people in the United States each year. The condition can disable professional athletes or normally active and even inactive people alike. Treatment options to date have been inadequate for many sufferers.

Based on breakthrough technology that has been effectively treating urinary stones for over 20 years, the Epos Ultra device uses ESWT to provide sufferers with rapid relief. The device sends high-energy shock waves through the foot and jumpstarts the healing process by regenerating blood vessels in the injured area as well as providing an analgesic effect. This noninvasive, outpatient procedure often requires only a single, 30-minute session. The Epos Ultra is the first and only shock wave therapy device with built-in ultrasound, enabling caregivers to pinpoint the precise treatment area without guesswork.

According to George Theodore, MD, an orthopedist at the Massachusetts General Hospital and an investigator in the Epos Ultra clinical trials, "Shock wave therapy effectively treats plantar fasciitis by stimulating the body’s own repair mechanisms. It is a safe and effective alternative to the traditional treatment methods available. Many patients I treated in the Epos Ultra clinical trials experienced improvements and resolution of their symptoms during a short recovery period. The use of ultrasound proved valuable, as it allowed patients to receive treatment with optimum precision."

Plantar fasciitis can be caused by several factors, including changes in physical activity, shoes with poor arch support, excess weight, sudden injury or spending too much time on the feet. Some sufferers liken their pain to the sensation of trying to walk barefoot on a very rocky beach. Traditional treatments are only sporadically effective and include anti-inflammatory medicines, steroid injections, stretching, ice, physical therapy, specially made heel cushions and orthotics. Surgery is sometimes a last resort yet is only successful 50 percent of the time.

"When Dornier invented extracorporeal shock wave lithotripsy over 20 years ago as a breakthrough treatment for kidney stones, few would have imagined the potential of this technology for responding to such a wide range of common and unmet medical needs," said Brian Walsh, general manager, Dornier MedTech. "Our shock wave lithotripsy technology is clearly established as the gold standard for urinary stone treatment. Based on this success, we are confident that the Epos Ultra will help millions of people overcome the pain of plantar fasciitis. This device has already been used to treat more than 100,000 patients worldwide, and we are currently evaluating further studies for other orthopedic indications, including the shoulder and elbow."

About Dornier MedTech
Dornier MedTech develops, manufactures and markets lithotripters, orthopedic shock wave devices, urotables, medical lasers and more. The company invented extracorporeal shock wave lithotripsy more than 20 years ago for the disintegration of kidney stones, which is today the gold standard for urinary stone treatment. For more information, call 800/367-6437 or visit www.dornier.com.