Milestones: 2000 to Present

  • 2000 - Zimmer forms strategic alliance with Implex Corporation to commercialize Hedrocel® biomaterial, a Trabecular Metal™ structure that allows for bone ingrowth on implants. The physical characteristics of the material may permit its use in a wide variety of implant applications.
  • 2000 - Bristol-Myers Squibb announces plans to divest Zimmer.
  • 2001 - Zimmer is spun off from Bristol-Myers Squibb and begins trading on the New York Stock Exchange, on August 7th, under the ticker symbol “ZMH”.
  • 2001 - First Zimmer® Minimally Invasive Solutions™ (MIS) 2-Incision™ Hip Replacement Procedure performed; procedure is performed through two 1 ½ inch incisions instead of traditional 10-inch incision.
  • 2003 - Zimmer acquires Centerpulse AG, a Swiss-based orthopaedic manufacturer and the leading reconstructive company in Europe; with the acquisition, Zimmer also expands its product offering to the rapidly growing spinal implant market and the reconstructive dental market.
  • 2003 - Zimmer announces its intention to acquire Implex Corporation, the privately held New Jersey company whose innovative Hedrocel biomaterial, Zimmer has marketed as Trabecular Metal Technology.
  • 2003 - Zimmer opens The Zimmer Institute, a state-of-the-art training facility to advance surgeon skills with Zimmer Minimally Invasive Solutions Procedures and Technologies; satellite facilities around the world are later added.
  • 2004 - Zimmer completes acquisition of Implex Corp. and creates the Zimmer Trabecular Metal Technology Division.
  • 2004 - Zimmer launches the Minimally Invasive Solutions Quad-Sparing™ Total Knee Replacement Procedure which allows surgeons to perform total knee replacement without cutting muscles or tendons.
  • 2005 - Zimmer introduces electromagnetic computer navigation technology for MIS knee replacement, providing improved ease of use due to the elimination of line of sight issues experienced with existing optical navigation approaches.
  • 2005 - Zimmer acquires worldwide exclusive distribution rights for genetically engineered xenogeneic tissues for regenerative therapies from Revivicor, Inc.; Zimmer initially plans to develop the technologies for orthopaedic applications, including the repair and replacement of damaged tendon, ligament, meniscus, cartilage, bone and spinal nucleus tissues.
  • 2005 - Zimmer launches the iNav™* Portable Electromagnetic Navigation System, offered through Zimmer’s partnership with Medtronic, Inc., providing a high quality, low cost, portable electromagnetic computer navigation system for knee replacement surgery.
  • 2006 - Zimmer launches the Gender Solutions™ Knee Implant, the first such product designed specifically to address the unique needs of women patients.
  • 2006 - Food and Drug Administration approves Investigational New Drug (IND) application for Neocartilage, a tissue-engineered living tissue graft being developed with ISTO Technologies, Inc.; IND approval allows the companies to move forward with human clinical trials of the novel cartilage regeneration treatment.
  • 2006 - Zimmer acquires intellectual property rights for Zimmer® BRIGIT™ Bone Resection Instrument; the BRIGIT system is a voice activated, electromechanical telemanipulator arm that is used by the surgeon for the spatial positioning and orientation of a guide or tool (pending 510(k) clearance).
  • 2007 – Zimmer acquires Endius, Inc., based in Plainville, Massachusetts, a pioneer in the development of breakthrough minimally invasive spine surgery products, implants and techniques to treat spine disease.
  • 2007 - David C. Dvorak named President and Chief Executive Officer of Zimmer Holdings, Inc. Mr. Dvorak joined Zimmer in 2001 and had most recently served as President, Global Businesses.
  • 2007 - Zimmer acquires ORTHOSoft, Inc., a Montreal-based leader in medical software, instruments and computerized systems designed to help orthopaedic surgeons increase accuracy in hip, knee and spine implant surgery.
  • 2007 – Zimmer receives Premarket Approval (PMA) approval to market the Zimmer NexGen® LPS – Flex Mobile Knee, becoming one of only two companies that can offer a mobile bearing knee replacement option in the U.S.
  • 2008 – Zimmer acquires Abbott Spine. Founded in 1996 with U.S. headquarters in Austin, Texas, and an international facility in Bordeaux, France, Abbott Spine has developed a series of innovative technologies and techniques to treat spine disease.

 
*Trademark of Medtronic, Inc.

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