New Data Reinforces the Proven Safety and Effectiveness of the BIRMINGHAM HIP Resurfacing System

80-percent of US surgeons choose the BHR hip as it outperforms all other metal-on-metal resurfacing devices

MEMPHIS, Tennessee, May 4, 2010 - Recent new data(1) presented at this year's American Academy of
Orthopaedic Surgeons (AAOS) annual meeting reinforces the BIRMINGHAM HIP(TM)
Resurfacing (BHR) System as a safe and effective hip resurfacing device. The
multi-site study, performed by orthopedic surgeons practicing at nine
Canadian academic centers, showed that three years after surgery, 99.91% of
their 3,400 hip resurfacing patients experienced no implant failure due to
metal wear debris. The BHR Hip was the most used resurfacing device in this
study.

This week, the Hospital for Special Surgery (HSS) in New York City will
be holding a medical education course titled "Total Hip: Replacement and
Resurfacing" on May 7 and 8 for leading hip surgery specialists from across
the U.S. Chairing the course will be Edwin Su, MD, of the Hospital for
Special Surgery, and the teaching faculty will include pioneering British
surgeon Derek McMinn, MD, inventor of the BHR hip.

During a press conference and Q&A webcast on Thursday, May 6, at 3 p.m.
US EDT, 7 p.m. GMT, Joseph M. DeVivo, president of Smith & Nephew
Orthopaedics (NYSE: SNN, LSE: SN), the maker of the BHR Hip, will be joined
by Dr. Su and Mr. McMinn, as well as Scott Marwin, MD, an orthopedic surgeon
with New York University's Hospital for Joint Diseases. The panel will review
current data confirming the safety and effectiveness of hip resurfacing and
the BHR Hip. Smith & Nephew Orthopaedics will host the call, and additional
details are at the bottom of this release.

The new study recently presented at the AAOS meeting aligns with
previously released BHR Hip data from other prestigious sources and further
addresses the metal wear debris concerns raised about metal-on-metal hip
implants. The BHR Hip's track record for longevity remains unchallenged in
the literature, as well. These sources include:

    - The Journal of Bone and Joint Surgery published in January of
      this year a study tracking 155 consecutive BHR patients over three
      years. The data showed no revisions of BHR Hips due to metal wear, but
      patients who received a competing metal-on-metal resurfacing device
      were revised within three years of surgery at a rate of 3.4-percent due
      to adverse tissue reactions.(2)
    - The Australian Orthopaedic Association's 2008 National Joint
      Replacement Registry, a record of nearly every hip implanted in that
      country over the previous 10 years, tracked 6,773 BHR Hips and found
      that less than one-third of one-percent may have been revised due to
      the patient's reaction to the metal component.(3)
    - The Australian Registry hip resurfacing data for 2009, 70-percent
      of which comes from BHR Hip procedures, indicates that for men under
      age 65, hip resurfacing performs at the same or a better rate than
      total hip replacement. This registry also shows that the BHR Hip
      remains successful in 95-percent of cases eight years after surgery,
      whereas no other implant performs better than 94.7-percent just five
      years after surgery.(4)
    - Great Britain's Oswestry Outcomes Centre's patient registry,
      which tracked 5,000 BHR Hips implanted by 148 different surgeons in 37
      countries over 10 years (1998-2008), reports that the BHR Hip remains
      successful in 95.4-percent of all patient segments 10 years after
      surgery. This registry also reported that 98.6-percent of patients were
      "pleased" or "extremely satisfied" with their BHR Hip implants 10 years
      after their resurfacing procedure.(5)
    - Mr. McMinn's clinical data, based on 3,095 hip resurfacing
      patients implanted between 1997 and 2009, shows that more than 12 years
      after surgery, the BHR hip remains successful in 99-percent of men aged
      60 and over, and 97-percent for men under age 60.

"The BHR Hip's outcomes are remarkable when compared to other resurfacing
devices," said Dr. Marwin. "The depth and consistency of the data collected
globally shows the BHR Hip is truly different."

"For the right patients in my practice, hip resurfacing has proven to be
an excellent choice," said Dr. Su. "They have extremely high levels of
satisfaction after returning to their regular lifestyle."

To explain the patient advantages seen consistently in the literature,
surgeons indicate the key differences between the BHR Hip and other
resurfacing devices are its metal composition, its design geometry and its
surgical instrumentation.

The BHR Hip has a unique metallurgy heritage which goes back more than 30
years and includes a first-generation metal-on-metal resurfacing process
which contributes to long-term survivorship of BHR Hip recipients.

Additionally, the BHR Hip's design geometry replicates the natural hip's
ability to pull the body's own joint fluids into the ball and socket
interface, which is believed to be another source of its best-in-class
performance.

Of particular importance during hip resurfacing surgery is the correct
positioning of the acetabular cup, or hip socket. When this component is not
properly aligned, studies show that metal wear can accelerate and resurfacing
devices can fail before their time. Surgeons believe that the instrument used
to implant the BHR Hip is simpler and more accurate than other devices'
instruments, and may contribute to its success.

"Just like the lubricating barrier in a healthy hip, there is a natural
fluid layer between the femoral head and the cup that the two metal surfaces
glide across during physical activity," said Mr. McMinn. "If the surgeon
malpositions the acetabular cup causing edge loading, the lubrication is
lost. It's equivalent to running a car engine without lubrication oil. High
wear will occur, resulting in premature failure. Overall, it is a combination
of the metal composition, the design and the quality of the surgical
technique that makes the BHR Hip the safest resurfacing implant on the
market."

"The bottom line is that the BHR Hip is not like other metal-on-metal hip
implants," said DeVivo. "Not only does it have the longest track record of
any resurfacing device, but the most esteemed medical literature shows it
outlasts other implants. It's in a class all its own - it's safe and
effective, and is the best choice for active patients."

To participate in the press conference webcast being held on May 6,
please use the dial-in numbers below. Afterwards, a recording of the press
conference and links to multiple sources of scientific data related to hip
resurfacing and the BHR Hip will be available at HipResurfacing.com and at
BirminghamHipResurfacing.com.

To access the conference call on the web, please go to
bit.ly/dhltP7. An archived replay will be available at this same link
for six months.

To access the call by phone in the United States, please dial
+1-877-941-6011. In the United Kingdom, dial 0800-358-0857 and in Australia,
1800-032-175. Ask for the "Smith & Nephew Orthopedics" call.

The replay will also be available by phone at +1-800-406-7325 in the U.S.
and 0800-358-3474 in the U.K.; both numbers require the passcode 4293934.

Footnotes

(1) Beaule PE, Smith FC, Powell JN et al. A Survey on the Incidence of
Pseudotumours with MOM Hip Resurfacings in Canadian Academic Centres. Podium
presentation # 665. Proceedings of the American Academy of Orthopaedic
Surgeons Annual Meeting, New Orleans LA. 2010

(2) Langton DJ, Jameson SS, Joyce TJ, Hallab NJ, Natu S, Nargol AVF.
Early failure of metal-on-metal bearings in hip resurfacing and
large-diameter total hip replacement, A CONSEQUENCE OF EXCESS WEAR. J Bone
Joint Surg Br. 2010; 92-B: 38-46

(3) Table HT 46. Australian Orthopaedic Association National Joint
Replacement Registry Annual Report. Adelaide: AOA; 2008.

(4) Table HT 46. Australian Orthopaedic Association National Joint
Replacement Registry Annual Report. Adelaide: AOA; 2009.

(5) Robinson E, Richardson JB, Khan M. MINIMUM 10 YEAR OUTCOME OF
BIRMINGHAM HIP RESURFACING (BHR), A REVIEW OF 518 CASES FROM AN INTERNATIONAL
REGISTER. Oswestry outcome centre, Oswestry, UK.

About Us

Smith & Nephew is a global medical technology business, specialising in
Orthopaedics, including Reconstruction, Trauma and Clinical Therapies;
Endoscopy and Advanced Wound Management. Smith & Nephew is a global leader in
arthroscopy and advanced wound management and is one of the leading global
orthopaedics companies.

Smith & Nephew is dedicated to helping improve people's lives. The
Company prides itself on the strength of its relationships with its surgeons
and professional healthcare customers, with whom its name is synonymous with
high standards of performance, innovation and trust. The Company operates in
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