PLYMOUTH, Mich.--(BUSINESS WIRE)--

Materialise NV (Nasdaq:MTLS) launched a shoulder planner for surgeons with the possibility to plan shoulder arthroplasty cases and order patient-specific shoulder guides, in collaboration with DePuy Synthes. The TRUMATCH® Personalized Solutions Shoulder System, revealed at the AAOS Annual Meeting in New Orleans, marks a further extension of Materialise’s longstanding collaboration with DePuy Synthes, who will distribute the solution in the United States, Canada, Australia, New Zealand and Europe.

The TRUMATCH® Personalized Solutions Shoulder System will help orthopaedic surgeons prepare for shoulder arthroplasty surgery, specifically addressing Reverse Shoulder Arthroplasty (RSA) and Anatomic Total Shoulder Arthroplasty (TSA) operations. It offers surgeons an all-in-one, web-based platform that allows them to better plan and prepare for these operations as well as order patient specific 3D printed surgical guides.

RSA and TSA operations present unique challenges, with limited visibility as the result of the small incision, the Glenoid cavity being deep in the surgical window and the lack of reliable landmarks. However, precise alignment is required, not just because of limited bone stock, but because of its impact on overall screw length and fixation (with RSA) and the occurrence of peg perforation (with TSA).

Compared to using 2D images to diagnose and perform a shoulder arthroplasty, pre-surgical planning lets surgeons know what to expect upfront, working in three dimensions. With 3D virtual pre-surgical planning, implant positioning is done within a stable reference frame, linked to the entire scapula, using reliable landmarks that are not subject to case specific wear patterns. This allows the surgeon to be more precise in the alignment of the implant and screw positioning, improving overall fixation. The measurement, viewing and implant positioning features of the TRUMATCH® Personalized Solutions Shoulder System helps surgeons make better informed, clinical decisions before, rather than during surgery, taking control of an important step for a more desired outcome. This increased pre-operative preparedness gives the surgeon and the team more confidence and control during surgery.

As a result of the pre-operative planning, surgeons may decide to execute the surgery with personalized guides if it’s believed that conventional instruments or standard guides are less appropriate because of glenoid deformities. The TRUMATCH® Personalized Solutions Shoulder System also allows surgeons to order patient specific 3D printed shoulder guides within the same platform.

“3D planning is gaining popularity with orthopaedic surgeons performing shoulder operations,” said Wilfried Vancraen, Founder and CEO of Materialise. “Together with our strategic partners like DePuy Synthes, we are continually working to improve surgical planning processes for a range of operations. We are proud that this expanded collaboration will empower even more orthopaedic surgeons to discover the benefits of online planning and 3D-printed, patient-specific surgical guides.”

Materialise is exhibiting during the annual meeting for the American Academy of Orthopaedic Surgeons, March 6-10, 2018 in New Orleans. The company hosts live software demonstrations and expert talks on booth #3729 as well as a lunchtime presentation on March 7 in the Technology Theatre. Learn more at http://www.materialise.com/en/medical/orthopaedic-surgeons-meeting-2018.

About Materialise

Materialise incorporates 27 years of 3D printing experience into a range of software solutions and 3D printing services, which together form the backbone of the 3D printing industry. Materialise’s open and flexible solutions enable players in a wide variety of industries, including healthcare, automotive, aerospace, art and design, and consumer goods, to build innovative 3D printing applications that aim to make the world a better and healthier place. Headquartered in Belgium, with branches worldwide, Materialise combines the largest group of software developers in the industry with one of the largest 3D printing facilities in the world. For additional information, please visit: www.materialise.com.

About Materialise’s Medical Division

Materialise Medical, which has pioneered many of the leading medical applications of 3D printing, enables researchers, engineers and clinicians to revolutionize innovative patient-specific care. Materialise Medical’s open and flexible platform of software and services, Materialise Mimics, forms the foundation of certified Medical 3D Printing, in clinical as well as research environments, offering virtual planning software tools, 3D-printed anatomical models, and patient-specific surgical guides and implants. For additional information, please visit: medical.materialise.com.

Cautionary Statement on Forward-Looking Statements

Some of the statements in this press release are "forward-looking" and are made pursuant to the safe harbor provision of the Private Securities Litigation Reform Act of 1995. These forward-looking statements include statements relating to, among other things, our planned commercialization efforts and regulatory approvals of our technologies as well as the success thereof and our research and development projects. These forward-looking statements are based upon the expectations of management under current assumptions at the time of this press release. We caution you that forward-looking statements are not guarantees of future performance and involve known and unknown risks, uncertainties and other factors that are in some cases beyond our control that may cause our actual results to differ materially from our expectations. We are providing this information as of the date of this press release and do not undertake any obligation to update any forward-looking statements contained in this presentation as a result of new information, future events or otherwise, unless we have obligations under the federal securities laws to update and disclose material developments related to previously disclosed information.

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