FONAR Corporation (NASDAQ-FONR), The Inventor of MR Scanning announced today the sale of its first UPRIGHT® Multi-Position™ MRI in Canada. The Welcome Back Clinic plans to install the FONAR UPRIGHT® Multi-Position™ MRI in the province of British Columbia, Canada, in 2008.
The Welcome Back Clinic will provide expedited and comprehensive assessment of patients suffering from spine pain. Successful treatment of back pain depends on an accurate diagnosis. The FONAR UPRIGHT® Multi-Position™ MRI will allow patients to be imaged in the position in which they have pain. A comprehensive study of 1,302 back pain patients, conducted at UCLA and reported at the NASS 2007 annual meeting, reported that static-only MRI can “miss” a spondylolisthesis at L4-5 in 35 % of cases which were identified with the FONAR UPRIGHT® Multi-Position™ MRI. Having the correct diagnosis prior to surgery will lead to better outcomes and fewer failed back surgeries.
We at the Welcome Back Clinic believe that the FONAR Multi-Position™ MRI will provide superior diagnostic assessment of patients suffering from back or neck pain than is currently available because of the limitations of conventional recumbent-only MRI technology. Imaging patients in a weight-bearing upright position will demonstrate instability that would not be visible or would be underestimated in a conventional MRI. Having the proper diagnosis will improve surgical planning and lead to better surgical success and patient satisfaction.
FONAR's award winning technology (Frost & Sullivan's North American Medical Imaging Industry Innovation & Advancement of the Year Award) provided by the FONAR UPRIGHT® Multi-Position™ MRI offers the opportunity to expand our understanding of the causes of back pain and other pathologic conditions. Physicians and surgeons who treat patients with disabling back pain will have a new tool that should improve their understanding of spine biomechanics and conditions that lead to pain and disability. This will be an invaluable research tool that will lead to new and improved surgical procedures aimed at alleviating pain and improving function in patients suffering from back pain. Bringing the FONAR UPRIGHT® MRI to Canada will be a significant benefit to the people of Canada who have not had the opportunity to benefit from this new and exciting technology. The Welcome Back Clinic will be the first medical clinic in Canada to benefit from the diagnostic advantages offered by dynamic multi-position imaging.
Be sure to visit FONAR’s Website for product and investor information: www.fonar.com
The Inventor of MR Scanning™, Full Range of Motion™, pMRI™, Dynamic™, Multi-Position™, True Flow™ and The Proof is in the Picture™ are trademarks and UPRIGHT® and STAND-UP® are registered trademarks of FONAR Corporation.
This release may include forward-looking statements from the company that may or may not materialize. Additional information on factors that could potentially affect the company's financial results may be found in the company filings with the Securities and Exchange Commission.
Contacts:
Daniel Culver, 631-694-2929
Fax: 631-390-1709
http://www.fonar.com
invest2007@fonar.com
