8-K

                                  UNITED STATES
                       SECURITIES AND EXCHANGE COMMISSION
                             Washington, D.C. 20549

                          -----------------------------

                                    FORM 8-K


                                 CURRENT REPORT
                     Pursuant to Section 13 or 15(d) of the
                         Securities Exchange Act of 1934
                          -----------------------------

       Date of Report (Date of earliest event reported): February 10, 2005

                           Orthofix International N.V.
             (Exact name of Registrant as specified in its charter)

    Netherlands Antilles               0-19961                     N/A
(State or other jurisdiction   Commission File Number       (I.R.S. Employer
     of incorporation)                                   Identification Number)
                            -------------------------

                             7 Abraham de Veerstraat
                                     Curacao
                            Netherlands Antilles           N/A
               (Address of principal executive offices) (Zip Code)

     Registrant's telephone number, including area code: 011-59-99-465-8525

                          -----------------------------


Check the appropriate box below if the Form 8-K filing is intended to
simultaneously satisfy the filing obligation of the registrant under any of the
following provisions (see General Instruction A.2.):

[  ]  Written communications pursuant to Rule 425 under the Securities Act (17
      CFR 230.425)

[  ]  Soliciting material pursuant to Rule 14a-12 under the Exchange Act (17 CFR
      240.14a-12)

[  ]  Pre-commencement communications pursuant to Rule 14d-2(b) under the
      Exchange Act (17 CFR 240.14d-2(b))

[  ]  Pre-commencement communications pursuant to Rule 13e-4(c) under the
      Exchange Act (17 CFR 240.13e-4(c))





Item 5.02   Departure of Directors or Principal Officers; Election of Directors;
            --------------------------------------------------------------------
            Appointment of Principal Officers.
            ----------------------------------

         On February 16, 2005, Orthofix International N.V. issued a press
release announcing the retirement of Mr. Erik Hartsuiker and Mr. Alberto C.
d'Abreu de Paulo from its Board of Directors (the "Board") and the appointment
of Mr. Stefan Widensohler to the Board. The resignations of Mr. Hartsuiker and
Mr. d'Abreu de Paulo are effective as of February 10 and February 11, 2005,
respectively. The appointment of Mr. Widensohler is effective as of February 10,
2005. Mr. Widensohler has also been appointed to serve as a member of the
Compensation Committee, the Nominating Committee and the ad hoc International
Committee of the Board. A copy of the press release is attached hereto as
Exhibit 99.1 and is incorporated by reference herein.



Item 9.01  Financial Statement and Exhibits.
           ---------------------------------
    (c)    Exhibits

    99.1   Press release of Orthofix International N.V. dated February 16, 2005.





                                    Signature



         Pursuant to the requirements of the Securities Exchange Act of 1934, as
amended, the registrant has duly caused this report to be signed on its behalf
by the undersigned hereunto duly authorized.



Dated:   February 16, 2005

                                ORTHOFIX INTERNATIONAL N.V.


                                By: /s/ Thomas Hein
                                    -------------------------------------------
                                    Name:   Thomas Hein
                                    Title:  Chief Financial Officer

EX-99.1

[ORTHOFIX LOGO] [GRAPHIC OMITTED]

                                                           FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE
Contacts:
- ---------
Charles W. Federico, Group President and CEO, Orthofix International, N.V.,
704/948-2600
Thomas Hein, CFO, Orthofix International, N.V., 704/948-2600


           Orthofix International, N.V. Welcomes German Director with
               International Health Care Experience to its Board

HUNTERSVILLE, N.C., February 16, 2005 -- Orthofix International, N.V. (NASDAQ:
OFIX) is pleased to announce the appointment of a new independent director,
Stefan Widensohler, who will join the Board with immediate effect.

Mr. Widensohler is the President and CEO of KRAUTH medical group, a leading
European medical supply distributor consisting of different companies serving
various areas within the European - primarily German - Healthcare Market by
offering innovative Product- and Service concepts.

Previously, he was General Manager of MEDICALIS, now a GE Company, focusing on
turn-key-project-management of hospital departments with special focus on the
operating room area.

Mr. Widensohler is an economics graduate from the Private Academy of Bad
Harzburg, Germany. He is Deputy Chairman of the Board of BV-Med, the German
Health Industry Manufacturers' Association and is an Active Member of the German
Economic Council.

He presently also serves as a Member of the Board of Directors of St. Jude
Medical, Inc., Minneapolis, USA.

"The addition of Mr. Widensohler will further strengthen the Board of Orthofix
thanks to his international experience in the health care field. His joining the
Board will reinforce the company's reputation as a major global player in the
orthopedic medical device industry," said Charles W. Federico, Group President
and Chief Executive Officer of Orthofix.

Two Directors of the Board, Mr. E. Hartsuiker and Mr. Alberto C. d'Abreu de
Paulo decided to retire after 17 years of faithful service to the company. Their
valuable contributions to the company since its very beginning were gratefully
acknowledged.


About Orthofix International, N.V.

Orthofix International N.V., a global diversified orthopedic products company,
offers a broad line of minimally invasive surgical, as well as non-surgical,
products for the spine, reconstruction, and trauma market sectors that address
the lifelong bone-and-joint health needs of patients of all ages--helping them
achieve a more active and mobile lifestyle. Orthofix's products are widely
distributed around the world to orthopedic surgeons and patients--via Orthofix's
sales representatives and its subsidiaries, including Breg Inc., and via
partnerships with other leading orthopedic product companies, such as Medtronic
Sofamor Danek, Stryker Howmedica, and Kendall Healthcare. In addition, Orthofix
is collaborating in R&D partnerships with leading medical institutions such as
the Orthopedic Research and Education Foundation, the Cleveland Clinic
Foundation, Innovative Spinal Technologies and National Osteoporosis Institute.
For more information about Orthofix, please visit www.orthofix.com.


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Forward-Looking Statements
This news release contains certain forward-looking statements under the Private
Securities Litigation Reform Act of 1995. These forward-looking statements may
include, but are not limited to, statements concerning the projections,
financial condition, results of operations and businesses of Orthofix, and are
based on management's current expectations and estimates and involve risks and
uncertainties that could cause actual results or outcomes to differ materially
from those contemplated by the forward-looking statements. Factors that could
cause or contribute to such differences may include, but are not limited to,
risks relating to the integration of the businesses of Orthofix and Breg,
unanticipated expenditures, changing relationship with customers, suppliers and
strategic partners, risks relating to the protection of intellectual property,
changes to the reimbursement policies of third parties, changes to governmental
regulation of medical devices, the impact of competitive products, changes to
the competitive environment, the acceptance of new products in the market,
conditions of the orthopedic industry and the economy and other factors
described in the most recent report on Form 10-K and other periodic reports
filed by Orthofix with the Securities and Exchange Commission.

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