Hal Sutton Becomes Spokesperson for Stryker Orthopaedics

MAHWAH, N.J., June 25, 2013 /PRNewswire/ -- Stryker Corporation's Orthopaedics Division today announced that Hal Sutton, professional golfer and PGA Tour Champion (1983), has become a spokesperson for the company and will help educate consumers about hip replacement surgery.  A 32-year veteran of the sport and current member of the Champions Tour, Sutton underwent a total hip replacement and received Stryker's Mobile Bearing Hip in October 2012.

For several years, Sutton had been suffering from hip pain, but like many others was hesitant to have surgery. In 2012, at age 54, after speaking with his doctor and learning about the differences in hip replacements, Sutton made the decision to undergo hip replacement.   

"When I was ready to return to golf after putting my career on hold to spend time with my family, I realized my hip wouldn't let me," said Sutton. "I had developed osteoarthritis in my left hip that was causing significant pain. I was starting to question if I'd ever get back to a competitive level again until I talked to my doctor and he indicated that I was a candidate for total hip replacement."

As a spokesperson for the company, Sutton will help educate current and prospective hip replacement patients around the country, discussing his experiences with osteoarthritis, hip replacement, and the recovery process. 

"My Stryker hip has allowed me not only to return to my career, but also to be able to do things we take for granted every day. Simply getting in and out of a car and putting on my shoes became challenging for me and as a result, life became depressing," said Sutton. "I hope that my story will show the millions of Americans suffering from hip pain that replacement surgery can allow them to return to their lifestyles."

Stryker's Mobile Bearing Hip System is designed to provide patients with stability¹, range of motion² and longevity³. Hal Sutton joins the likes of Fred Funk, becoming the second active Champions Tour golfer to collaborate with Stryker both on and off the golf course. In 2011, Funk became a spokesperson for the company after undergoing total knee replacement surgery with Stryker's GetAroundKnee in 2009.  Both Hal Sutton and Fred Funk will sport the official Stryker headwear during their events.

"Seeing Hal back out on TOUR with his Stryker hip is testament to the benefits of hip replacement," said Stuart Simpson, Vice President and General Manager Hip Reconstruction.  "We're happy to have him on board to share his personal story with patients around the country as we help educate them on how hip replacement can help get them back to the activities they love."

Throughout his golf career, Sutton has won 14 PGA Tour events, most notably the 1983 PGA Tour Championship, the 1983 Tournament Players Championship, the 1988 Tour Championship and the 2000 Players Championship.  Sutton began to play on the Champions Tour in 2012, and has since recorded one top 10 finish and six top 25 finishes.  

About Stryker
Stryker is one of the world's leading medical technology companies and is dedicated to helping healthcare professionals perform their jobs more efficiently while enhancing patient care. The Company offers a diverse array of innovative medical technologies, including reconstructive, medical and surgical, and neurotechnology and spine products to help people lead more active and more satisfying lives. For more information about Stryker, please visit www.stryker.com.

1. Stryker Test Report: RD-06-078.
2. Stryker Test Report: RD-09-068.
3. Stryker Orthopaedics Restoration ADM X3 28 mm ID acetabular inserts made of X3 Gas Plasma Sterilized UHMWPE, show a 97% reduction in volumetric wear rate versus 28 mm ID Restoration ADM Duration Gamma Radiation Sterilized UHMWPE. Both ADM constructs utilized a 54mm OD shell and the inserts were approximately 9.9 mm thick. Testing was conducted under multi-axial hip joint simulation for 5 million cycles using a 28mm CoCr modular femoral head articulating counterface and calf serum lubricant. Volumetric wear rates were 109.7±6.0 mm³/10⁶ cycles and -1.03 ± 3.8 mm³/10⁶ cycles for Duration and X3 polyethylene insert test samples. Although in-vitro hip wear simulation methods have not been shown to quantitatively predict clinical wear performance, the current model has been able to reproduce correct wear resistance rankings for some materials with documented clinical results. 1-3

[1] W ang, A, et. al., Tribology International, Vol. 31, No. 1-3: 17-33, 1998.
[2] Essner, A. et. al., 44th Annual Meeting, ORS, New Orleans, Mar. 16-19, 1998: 774.
[3] Essner, A. et. al., 47th Annual Meeting, ORS, San Francisco, Feb. 25-28, 2001: 1007.

MADMX3-COM-1 

SOURCE Stryker