Path4 Ventures Announces the Addition of Stephen Hochschuler, M.D. to its Board of Advisors

Internationally renowned spine surgeon, researcher and author to help guide Path4 Ventures’ portfolio companies

Austin, TX (July 6, 2005)
Path4 Ventures, a management-centric venture capital company focused on the musculoskeletal medical device market, today announced that Stephen H. Hochschuler, M.D., has joined its Board of Advisors. Dr. Hochschuler will offer his spine industry expertise to aid in the business development of Path4’s portfolio companies. His guidance will be applied initially to Path4’s first venture, LDR Spine, a total spine solution company founded in 2004.

“Path4 has an impressive business model, expert leadership, and a passion for bringing outstanding products into the hands of U.S. surgeons,” said Dr. Hochschuler. “I believe in their mission and look forward to helping them progress the effectiveness and safety of the treatment of spinal injuries, congenital conditions and degenerative disease through new and better solutions.”

Dr. Hochschuler is chairman and co-founder of Texas Back Institute, the largest freestanding spine specialty clinic in the United States. As a leader in spine research and one of the most influential spine surgeons in the world, Dr. Hochschuler received the George Kozmetsky Distinguished Achievement Award from the Society for Design and Process Science in 1996. He is a clinical instructor in the Department of Orthopedics at the University of Texas Southwestern Medical School in Dallas, and the author of spinal health books and numerous research papers published in international spine journals. He is a founding member of the American Board of Spinal Surgery and the Spine Arthroplasty Society, where he is also a member of the Board of Directors. Dr. Hochschuler received his Doctor of Medicine degree from Harvard Medical School and performed his general surgery residency at Harvard Surgical Service, Boston City Hospital, and his orthopedic surgical residency at the University of Texas Southwestern Medical School and Parkland Memorial Hospital in Dallas. He co-founded the Texas Back Institute in 1977 in Plano, Texas, which is acknowledged as the most academic private practice in spine and the largest independent multi-disciplinary academic spine practice in the world with eight locations in Texas and Arizona.

“Dr. Hochschuler is one of the most respected and influential spine surgeons and researchers in the world and he is an extremely valuable addition to Path4’s Board of Advisors,” said Jerry DeVries, the managing partner of Path4 Ventures. “Tapping into his industry knowledge and experience will be significant as we grow LDR Spine and found subsequent companies.”

About LDR Spine
LDR Spine supplies U.S. surgeons with innovative spinal solutions in partnership with LDR Médical of Troyes, France. LDR Spine works closely with surgeons to develop implantable systems and instrumentation that restore optimum stability and mobility to patients, and make spine surgery more reproducible and easier to perform. More information is located at www.ldrspine.com.

About Path4 Ventures
Founded in 2004, Path4 Ventures LLC is a management-centric venture capital company based in Austin, Texas. The company identifies, creates and develops opportunities in the healthcare industry utilizing a "hands-on" management style by taking an active role in the technologies and opportunities in which it invests. More information is available at www.path4ventures.com.

Company Contact:
James Burrows, VP of Product Commercialization, LDR
(512) 344-3307
jamesburrows@ldrspine.com