Jul 20, 2012 (Marketwire via COMTEX) --Exactech, Inc. (NASDAQ: EXAC), a developer and producer of bone and joint restoration products for total joint replacement, and CONMED Corporation (NASDAQ: CNMD), a global leader in the development and manufacturing of surgical instruments and devices, announced today their plans to co-develop a series of medical education programs designed to advance the standard of care for patients across the continuum of shoulder and knee repair.

The companies plan to leverage their combined expertise to offer orthopaedic surgeons comprehensive medical education programs that address advancements in patient care from early arthroscopic intervention to total joint replacement technologies and techniques. The co-developed programs will take place at CONMED Corporation subsidiary, CONMED Linvatec, at their state-of-the-art Center for Orthopaedic Education in Largo, Fla., which opened earlier this year. A quarterly schedule of programs is being developed for introduction in early 2013.

"Today's patients expect their orthopaedists to provide a lifetime of solutions to their injuries and diseases," said orthopaedic surgeon and Exactech CEO Bill Petty. "It is a unique challenge for surgeons to stay abreast of rapidly advancing techniques for treating the broad spectrum of injuries that can progress from soft tissue damage to joint disease. Few medical education courses address this range of orthopaedic care. Exactech is proud to partner with CONMED Corporation's subsidiary, CONMED Linvatec, to provide this educational opportunity." Providing surgeons with the best educational experience is a goal of both companies. 

"Our co-developed programs will provide the surgeon with a world-class educational experience, and we are proud to work collaboratively with Exactech to provide such a comprehensive approach to surgeon education," said Joe Darling, President of CONMED Linvatec. "In addition, we are pleased to have the opportunity to showcase our new state-of-the-art training facility in Largo to a significant number of leading surgeons."

About CONMED Corporation

CONMED is a medical technology company with an emphasis on surgical devices and equipment for minimally invasive procedures and monitoring. The Company's products serve the clinical areas of sports medicine-arthroscopy, powered surgical instruments, electrosurgery, cardiac monitoring disposables, endosurgery and endoscopic technologies. Surgeons and physicians in a variety of specialties including orthopedics, general surgery, gynecology, neurosurgery, and gastroenterology use our medical devices. Headquartered in Utica, New York, the Company's 3,400 employees distribute its products worldwide from several manufacturing locations.

About Exactech

Based in Gainesville, Fla., Exactech develops and markets orthopaedic implant devices, related surgical instruments and biologic materials and services to hospitals and physicians. The company manufactures many of its orthopaedic devices at its Gainesville facility. Exactech's orthopaedic products are used in the restoration of bones and joints that have deteriorated as a result of injury or diseases such as arthritis. Exactech markets its products in the United States, in addition to more than 30 markets in Europe, Latin America, Asia and the Pacific.

Contact:
        
        Robert Shallish 
        VP Finance & CFO
        CONMED Corporation 
        315-624-3206