DePuy Orthopaedics, Inc. has acquired Finsbury Orthopaedics Ltd, a UK-based manufacturer and distributor of orthopaedic implants.

Finsbury Orthopaedics, based in Leatherhead, Surrey, employs about 250 people. It specialises in durable hip, knee and ankle replacements that reduce the need for further operations. The company made pre-tax profits of £2.2m in the year to September 2008.

The sale price has been estimated by analysts to be over £60m. British engineer Mike Tuke, who helped to set up Finsbury in 1978, will be the major beneficiary. He is expected to stay on at the company.

Finsbury has achieved global success with its hip replacements, which feature proprietary ceramic-on-ceramic and metal-on-metal bearings. DePuy described Finsbury as "pioneering", and said it was keen to offer a number of the British company's products to its patients.

The acquisition gives DePuy several key products, including the DeltaMotion Ceramic-on-Ceramic Hip System, the ADEPT Metal-on-Metal Hip Resurfacing and Total Hip System and the BOX Total Ankle Replacement.

US company DePuy Orthopaedics, a subsidiary of the Johnson & Johnson group, is a global leader in the hip replacement market.

Mike Tuke