34 Early-Stage Orthopedic and Spine Companies Already Confirmed to Present at Medtech Insight and Windhover Information's 'IN SPINE & ORTHOPEDICS: Strategic Partnering and Investing in Musculoskeletal Technology' Conference.

NEWPORT BEACH, Calif. -- Medtech Insight:

Nov. 2-3, 2005
                     The Westin Stonebriar Resort
                          North Dallas, Texas

Medtech Insight has announced that 34 innovative early-stage spine and orthopedic technology companies seeking funding and/or strategic partnership are confirmed to present at the company's upcoming "IN SPINE & ORTHOPEDICS: Strategic Partnering and Investing in Musculoskeletal Technology" conference. Over 50 companies are expected on the program. Medtech Insight's IN SPINE & ORTHOPEDICS conference, being organized in collaboration with the Texas Back Institute and the Swiss Spine Institute, will be held at the Westin Stonebriar Resort in North Dallas on Nov. 2 and 3, 2005, prior to the 3rd Trans Atlantic Spine Congress.

The event will provide a focused, single-track forum for a select group of emerging spine and orthopedics companies to present to an audience of venture capitalists, investment bankers, corporate business development executives, and clinicians for purposes of funding, acquisition, and/or strategic partnership. Companies will present on a range of new technologies in spine (e.g., dynamic stabilization; disc, nucleus, and annulus repair and replacement; axon regrowth; and gene-based products) and orthopedics (e.g., arthroscopy; soft tissue repair/replacement including cartilage, meniscus, ligaments, and patch materials; image-guided surgery; bone and joint replacement; trauma; and neuromodulation pain therapy, among others).

Companies confirmed to present thus far include: Acologix, Affinergy, Andara Life Science, Angstrom Medica, Axial Biotech, Bioaxone Therapeutic, Biowave, CeraPedics, Clearant, CryoLife, Disc Dynamics, Gentis, GMReis, HydroCision, Inion, Innovative Spinal Technologies, Kensey Nash, LDR Spine, Life Spine, Meditrac, MINRAD, N Spine, Omni-Access Technologies, ORTHOCON, Orthonics, Paradigm Spine, Pegasus Biologics, Scil Technology, Silicon Valley Medical, Spinal Designs International, Spinemark, SpineVision, Spine Wave, and Triage Medical, among many others. (For regularly updated event details, see the Medtech Insight Web site at http://www.medtechinsight.com/inspine-02.html.)

In attendance will be most of the major orthopedic and spine companies and investment firms worldwide, as well as industry-leading surgeons. A few of the companies attending will be: Abbott Laboratories, Aesculap, ArthroCare, Baird Venture Partners, Banc of America Securities, Baxter, Biomet, DePuy/Johnson & Johnson, EDF Ventures, First Albany Capital, Goldman, Sachs & Co., Interpore Cross International, Medtronic Sofamor Danek, Musculoskeletal Transplant Foundation, Nitinol Devices & Components/Johnson & Johnson, NuVasive, Orthofix, Orthovita, Osteotech, Regeneration Technologies, RiverVest Venture Partners, Smith & Nephew, Stryker, Synthes, Thoma Cressey Equity Partners, Thomas Weisel Healthcare Venture Partners, V. Mueller Neuro/Spine/Cardinal Health, Viscogliosi Bros., Wright Medical Technology, and Zimmer, among many others.

The IN SPINE & ORTHOPEDICS program will follow a similar format to the company's "Investment In Innovation (In3)" conference series, which will include 10-minute presentations from a senior executive from each company followed immediately by individual meetings in private breakout rooms. The event will also feature prominent guest speakers, a networking buffet dinner/product exhibition, and an informative and interactive Industry Panel Discussion. Co-sponsors for the event include Battelle, Business Wire, Finnegan, Henderson, Farabow, Garrett & Dunner, Ronald Trahan Associates, Swiss Spine Institute, Texas Back Institute, and The MedTech Group.

To register to attend or for more information, call Kristy Grimes of Medtech Insight at 480-985-9512, or e-mail [e-mail]. Through Sept. 16, attendees registering for the conference can save $200 off the $1,495 registration fee.

This fall, in addition to the IN SPINE & ORTHOPEDICS conference, Medtech Insight is also holding its first In3 event outside of the U.S., "In3 EUROPE," taking place at the Crowne Plaza Brussels City Centre in Brussels, Belgium, on Sept. 20-21, along with the "Investment In Innovation (In3) BOSTON: A Preview of Early-Stage Medical Technology Companies" investment and partnering conference Oct. 10-11 at the Westin Copley Place Hotel in Boston. For more information on any of these upcoming events, please call Medtech Insight or visit the company's Web site at www.medtechinsight.com.

About Medtech Insight

Medtech Insight, a division of Windhover Information Inc., is the leading provider of business information and market intelligence for the medical technology marketplace. For more on the company's products and services, please see www.medtechinsight.com.