COMMITMENTS AND CONTINGENCIES

3 Months Ended

Mar. 31, 2014

Commitments and Contingencies Disclosure [Abstract]

COMMITMENTS AND CONTINGENCIES

COMMITMENTS AND CONTINGENCIES

In consideration for certain technology, manufacturing, distribution, and selling rights and licenses granted to the Company, the Company has agreed to pay royalties on sales of certain products that we sell. The royalty payments that the Company made under these agreements were not significant for any of the periods presented.

The Company is subject to various claims, lawsuits and proceedings in the ordinary course of the Company's business, including claims by current or former employees, distributors and competitors and with respect to its products and product liability claims, lawsuits and proceedings, some of which have been settled by the Company. In the opinion of management, such claims are either adequately covered by insurance or otherwise indemnified, or are not expected, individually or in the aggregate, to result in a material adverse effect on our financial condition. However, it is possible that the Company's results of operations, financial position and cash flows in a particular period could be materially affected by these contingencies.

On June 6, 2012, the Company was contacted by the United States Attorney's Office for the District of New Jersey regarding the activities of sales representatives in a single region within our Extremities Reconstruction division. The U.S. Attorney's Office is investigating the activities of three sales representatives, one of whom was a supervisor until terminated by the Company for failure to cooperate with this investigation.  The activities at issue pertain to alleged improper billing of products for extremities indications. The Company has been cooperating with the U.S. Attorney's Office on a voluntary basis and is not a subject or target of an investigation at this time.  In cooperating with the U.S. Attorney’s Office, the Company has responded to multiple government requests for documents and information; and in the fall of 2013 it responded to what the government currently indicated is its final request.  Representatives of the Company met with the Assistant United States Attorney in charge of the matter and an agent from the Federal Bureau of Investigation on April 11, 2014, to discuss the matter, the behavior of the sales representatives in question, and the disposition of the matter as to the Company.  The Company awaits word from the U.S. Attorney’s Office as to the disposition of the matter as to the Company.

The Company accrues for loss contingencies when it is deemed probable that a loss has been incurred and that loss is estimable. The amounts accrued are based on the full amount of the estimated loss before considering insurance proceeds, and do not include an estimate for legal fees expected to be incurred in connection with the loss contingency. The Company consistently accrues legal fees expected to be incurred in connection with loss contingencies as those fees are incurred by outside counsel as a period cost.