Back.com Earns the Good Housekeeping Web Site Certification Seal.

Business Editors & Health/Medical Writers

MEMPHIS, Tenn.--(BUSINESS WIRE)--Feb. 3, 2003

Web site receives recognition for its commitment to

educating the public about back pain

Back.com now proudly displays the Good Housekeeping Web Site Certification Seal, one of the newest services to be offered by Good Housekeeping. "We are very pleased to have an unbiased third party, such as the Good Housekeeping Institute, perform an independent review of our site and validate not only the quality, but also the value and integrity of the health information that we provide," said Jill Serbousek, Vice President of eBusiness Solutions at Medtronic Sofamor Danek.

Good Housekeeping created the Web Site Certification Seal to help guide consumers to Web sites that provide useful and trustworthy information, that are easy to navigate, and that have clearly defined security and privacy policies.

Back.com, like Good Housekeeping Magazine, focuses on healthy living. Medtronic Sofamor Danek added Back.com to its complement of spine-related Web sites in November 2001, furthering the company's commitment to helping back pain sufferers make informed decisions about the treatment that they seek. Through its innovative visual design, user-friendly navigation, medically reviewed content and interactive features, Back.com delivers a wide range of information on the symptoms, causes and treatment of health conditions affecting the lower back - the lumbar, thoracic and sacral spine.

In addition to http://www.back.com, Medtronic Sofamor Danek also offers information about scoliosis and neck pain through http://www.iscoliosis.com and http://www.neckreference.com, respectively. The company offers this information for educational purposes only, acknowledging that an increased awareness of your health improves, but does not replace, the relationship that you have with your healthcare professional.

Good Housekeeping Magazine, along with the Good Housekeeping Institute and Seal, is the foremost symbol of American consumer protection and quality assurance. Every issue of the magazine delivers a unique mix of independent investigation and trusted reporting, along with inspirational and personal stories that focus on the modern home and quality of life. Since 1900, the Good Housekeeping Institute has been evaluating products to protect American consumers. The high standards of this review process, combined with the value of the two-year limited warranty and the trust placed in the Good Housekeeping Seal, gives all the products advertised in Good Housekeeping Magazine a mark of distinction that to this day remains unsurpassed in the American marketplace.

Medtronic, Inc. (NYSE:MDT), headquartered in Minneapolis, is the world's leading medical technology company, providing lifelong solutions for people with chronic disease. Medtronic Sofamor Danek, headquartered in Memphis, Tenn., develops and manufactures products that treat a variety of disorders of the cranium and spine, including traumatically induced conditions, degenerative conditions, deformities and tumors. For more information about Medtronic Sofamor Danek, visit: http://www.medtronicsofamordanek.com.