Hanger Orthopedic Group Launches WalkAide, the First Offering by Its Subsidiary Innovative Neurotronics

BETHESDA, Md., May 2 /PRNewswire-FirstCall/ -- Hanger Orthopedic Group, Inc. announced today the launch of the WalkAide(R) System, the first offering in a line of functional electrical stimulation devices by its wholly-owned subsidiary Innovative Neurotronics, Inc. (IN, Inc.). Founded January 2004, IN, Inc. initially focused on clinical studies and protocol designs for the treatment of a form of paralysis known as foot drop. This effort culminated with the WalkAide System, which includes diagnosis, treatment modalities, and delivery of an electrical stimulation device by a trained medical practitioner.

"We are thrilled to be able to provide new hope for our patients," IN, Inc. President Jeff Martin said. "The WalkAide is only the beginning. Considering the efficacy of this first device, the clinical depth of Hanger's orthotists, and the reach of our distribution system, Hanger and IN, Inc. are poised to evaluate and deliver additional treatment protocols and devices within the field of Myo-Orthotics."

Cleared for marketing by the U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA) in September 2005, the WalkAide System counters the lack of ankle dorsiflexion in patients who have sustained damage to upper motor neurons or pathways to the spinal cord. The system allows a qualified clinician to analyze the patient's leg and foot movements, which are identified by a patented sensor technology called an accelerometer and transmitted via a Bluetooth(R) connection. Once the device is fit on the patient, electrical signals are sent to the peroneal nerve (i.e. the nerve that controls the movement of the ankle and foot), prompting the muscles to raise the foot at the appropriate time and allow the patient to walk more normally. Worn around the leg, just below the knee, the wireless AA battery-operated device is about the size of a deck of cards.

"More than an exciting new product, the WalkAide System incorporates a clinical team, extensively-trained to work with patients of all neuromuscular conditions," Hanger President and COO Tom Kirk said. "WalkAide patients can be confident they have a qualified rehabilitation partner who will work to achieve the best possible outcomes."

In addition to improving the patient's gait, medical benefits of the WalkAide System are increased mobility, strength, and endurance; decreased energy expenditure; prevention, retardation, and/or reversal of muscle atrophy; and maintained or increased joint range of motion. Further benefits may include reduced incidence of injury, increased circulation, muscle re- education, maintained or increased bone density, and strengthened damaged central nervous system pathways and muscle/spinal circuits.

Currently available nationwide to patients exclusively through Hanger's certified orthotists, IN, Inc. plans to expand availability of the WalkAide through physical therapists and other rehabilitation specialists later this year.

IN, Inc.'s line of technologies resides in a unique space between prosthetics and orthotics called Myo-Orthotics(TM) technology. More than simply bracing a limb to improve mobility, Myo-Orthotics technology actually restores the functionality of an impaired extremity by mimicking and recreating natural nerve-to-muscle response by way of electrical stimulation.

Designed as a portal to rapidly introduce emerging neuromuscular technologies developed at major research centers, universities, or in collaboration with industry suppliers worldwide, IN, Inc. specializes in the development and commercialization of devices that utilize electrical stimulation to improve the functionality of an impaired extremity. IN, Inc. draws on the clinical specialization, national reach, distribution supply chain, and regulatory affairs expertise of its sister companies, specifically, Hanger Prosthetics & Orthotics, the nation's largest orthotic and prosthetic (O&P) patient care company, and Southern Prosthetic Supply (SPS), the world's largest distributor of O&P devices.

About Hanger Orthopedic Group, Inc.:

Hanger Orthopedic Group, Inc., headquartered in Bethesda, Maryland, is the world's premier provider of orthotic and prosthetic patient care services. Hanger is the market leader in the United States, owning and operating 624 patient care centers in 46 states including the District of Columbia, with 3,290 employees including 1,021 practitioners (as of 12/31/05). Hanger is organized into four units. The two key operating units are patient care which consists of nationwide orthotic and prosthetic practice centers and distribution which consists of distribution centers managing the supply chain of orthotic and prosthetic componentry to Hanger and third party patient care centers. The third is Linkia which is the first and only provider network management company for the orthotics and prosthetics industry. The fourth unit, Innovative Neurotronics, introduces emerging neuromuscular technologies developed through independent research in a collaborative effort with industry suppliers worldwide. For more information on Innovative Neurotronics, Inc. or the WalkAide, visit http://www.ininc.us/. For more information on Hanger, visit http://www.hanger.com/.

Certain statements included in this press release are forward looking statements within the meaning of the Private Securities Litigation Reform Act of 1995. Please refer to the Company's SEC filings for factors that could cause actual results to differ materially from the Company's expectations

CONTACT: Investor Relations: Jason Owen, +1-301-986-0701, jowen@hanger.com, or Media: Jennifer Bittner, +1-301-280-4869, jbittner@hanger.com, both of Hanger Orthopedic Group, Inc.