WINTERTHUR, Switzerland, December 14, 2010 /PRNewswire/ -- Zimmer Holdings, Inc. , a leader in musculoskeletal care, today announced that the Zimmer NexGen LPS knee was ranked the most cost-effective multiradius design total knee replacement implant in Italy in a recent health technology assessment by Italy's National Agency for Regional Health Services.(1)

The assessment identified the prostheses used in Italy for total knee replacements, examined their performance based on clinical studies and arthroplasty registers and constructed a cost-effectiveness model to support buying decisions. The study collected data from 172 public hospitals and private accredited providers of the Italian National Health Service. Researchers focused on patients aged 50 and older who had received a primary implant with a minimum follow-up period of five years.

"Knee replacement surgery is a highly effective treatment that restores active lives to thousands of patients each year," said Oriol Lacorte, Vice President Marketing EMEA. "As the world's leading provider of knee implant technologies, we are proud to receive this recognition for our NexGen LPS system which has a long history of cost-effective clinical success."

Since its introduction in 1996, Zimmer's NexGen LPS implant has frequently been used for first-time knee replacement patients. It is a posterior stabilized implant, intended for patients who have adequate bone stock with ligaments that provide moderate joint stability or when the posterior cruciate ligament (PCL) has been cut or removed. The NexGen LPS system is part of Zimmer's NexGen family of products, one of Zimmer's best-selling knee brands with over one million knees implanted worldwide since its introduction. The NexGen knee system is a completely modular system. Its success is built on multiple technologies such as Prolong(R) Highly Crosslinked Polyethylene, Trabecular Metal(TM) technology, safe high-flexion designs up to 155 degrees and anatomical fit for gender-specific needs.

For more information about the NexGen family of products, please visit http://www.zimmer.com.