Facing the prevailing headwinds of the pandemic, the MedTech industry presses on with product innovation and plans for the future. SmartTRAK reports daily on the challenges still ahead, covering all aspects of the Wound Care market, including Advanced Wound Care, Conventional Wound Care, Infection Prevention, Biosurgery, Surgical Matrices, EU and ROW Advanced Dressings and EU Negative Pressure Wound Therapy.

The following is just a small sampling of the Wound Care updates from around the world compiled, reviewed and posted in real time last week by our SmartTRAK analysts. We constantly monitor the worldwide MedTech industry, sifting through the noise to present to our subscribers the most relevant international news, patents, trends, new products, financial data and competitor developments in the global Life Sciences industry.

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• Medtronic*
  Medtronic’s US Patent Application “POWERED SURGICAL TACK APPLIER” was published, describing a powered system for surgical tack application for hernia repair. 20210045740

Tracking which procedures will drive growth within the Spine hardware market as we ride the ups and downs of COVID-19.

Following a Q320 rebound in elective procedures sparking a return to growth for the COVID-ravaged Spine market, the recent COVID resurgence has once again dragged US Spine growth rates down. While many companies have yet to report Q420 earnings, early signs point to a downturn, with procedure volumes impacted by hospital resource utilization and renewed restrictions around elective procedures.

In this article, Julianne Burns, SmartTRAK's GM, Spine, looks at the following topics:

• The COVID Impact Update
• Shifts in Cervical Total Disc Replacement (cTDR)
• Growth in Prone Lateral Procedures
• Expansion in SI Joint Fusion
• Innovation in Interbody Materials

Charlie Covert, Medtronic’s VP/GM of Pain Therapies, discusses the Company’s neuromodulation news at NANS 2021 in an interview with SmartTRAK.

To find out about what was new for MDT at NANS 2021, including the 12-month results from MDT’s DTM SCS study, its initiatives in evoked compound action potentials (ECAPs), the Vanta recharge-free SCS and MDT’s research into expanded indications, click on the following video below to listen to SmartTRAK’s interview with Charlie Covert recorded live via Uberconference (25:39 min). A complete transcript of the interview is also provided below.

SmartTRAK is excited to announce the addition of the Arthroscopic Technologies module to the SmartTRAK platform. For the first time ever, the world of arthroscopic technologies will be analyzed and available right at your fingertips.

Our Arthroscopic Technologies module is managed by Andy Knapik, Andy has 20+years experience in US and International Sales and Marketing for the orthopedics and sports medicine markets, including 12 years at Smith & Nephew.

"Arthroscopic minimally invasive surgery is increasingly popular for patients and surgeons alike. The challenges associated with this type of surgery require ever changing advancements in technology that offer the orthopedic surgeon more efficient ways to see and work within the joint space effectively. Because of this, SmartTRAK is excited to offer detailed analysis for the arthroscopic technologies market." Andy Knapik, Sr. Analyst, SmartTRAK Arthroscopic Technologies.

Our Arthroscopic Technologies module covers:

• Arthroscopic/Endoscopic Video
• Mechanical Resection
• Radio Frequency Ablation
• Fluid Management

Facing the prevailing headwinds of the pandemic, the MedTech industry presses on with product innovation and plans for the future. SmartTRAK reports daily on the challenges still ahead, covering all aspects of the Orthopedic market: Extremities, OrthoBio, Spine, Computer Assisted Surgery, Total Joints, Trauma, Soft Tissue Fixation and EU Extremities and Trauma.

The following is just a small sampling of the Orthopedic updates from around the world compiled, reviewed and posted in real time last week by our SmartTRAK analysts. We constantly monitor the worldwide MedTech industry, sifting through the noise to present to our subscribers the most relevant international news, trends, new products, patents, financial data and competitor developments in the global Life Sciences industry.

From the global pandemic, shifts in site of care and technologies of interest, to the shift of procedures, these are some of the trends to watch in 2021

In 2020, monitoring the effects that COVID-19 had on joint replacement market quickly dominated the collective consciousness. And as we enter 2021, it is sure to remain top of mind but other trends are worth watching as well. From the shift in site-of-care to technologies of interest, SmartTRAK outlines some of the developments in the joint replacement market.

Among the many things to watch for in 2021 that are included in detail in this Market Outlook analysis article, written by Lisa Mahan, SmartTRAK's VP of Orthopedics, are:

• Expect Early Market Stops and Starts, Ups and Downs - After the initial wave of COVID-19 in March 2020, elective surgical procedures returned in Q2 and Q320 along with market recovery. However, a rising wave of COVID cases leading into the new year precipitated another round of shutdowns in different regions across the US ...
  
  

SmartTRAK analyzes how COVID-19 and vaccinations will impact the US Advanced Wound Care Market in 2021.

The impact of COVID-19 on life in the US and its onslaught into the US health care system began in mid-March. CMS and the American College of Surgeons recommended that hospitals, physicians and clinics halt all non-essential medical and surgical procedures, including the treatment of many types of wounds. However, the continual care of a chronic wound is essential for patients to ensure it is on the correct trajectory to heal. Typically, clinicians treat chronic wounds at least once a week to assess the progress of the wound, provide debridement and/or apply CTPs (skin substitutes). The hospital outpatient department (HOPD) wound clinics have been the primary site-of-care to treat these wounds but with the closing of several of these facilities during the initial COVID surge, many patients with chronic wounds were not seen, delayed treatment or began the transfer to the physician office for treatment. In fact, there is some evidence that wounds increased in severity since the start of the pandemic resulting in greater use of higher technology products and unfortunately, an increase in amputations.

The most significant impact on the market occurred in April/May 2020 when several states went into lock down and most, if not all, elective procedures were cancelled. SmartTRAK analyzed the Advanced Wound Care market back in April with the assumption that the peak of COVID-19 would occur during April/May and would slowly return to normal in a v-shaped or hockey-stick shaped recovery. However, data show COVID-19 did not peak solely in the April/May time frame ...

Arthroscopic Technologies

Launching February 2021

• Visualization
• Mechanical resection
• Radio frequency ablation
• Fluid management
  
  

As companies ride the latest wave of COVID-19, SmartTRAK predicts the trends and technologies that will continue to advance the trauma industry in 2021 and 2022.

Trend #1: Procedures Return to Near-Normal Levels in 2021

After the first swell of COVID-19 this past March, elective surgeries took a major hit. As most procedures were postponed during this phase of the pandemic, the trauma segment was impacted to a lesser extent. In early 2020, trauma surgeons reported seeing definite decreases in volumes due to stay-at-home orders, with polytrauma being almost negligible in certain US cities. Geriatric fractures also decreased, but to a lesser extent according to the OTA COVID-19 Webinar discussion. Despite the decrease, surgeons treated the majority of trauma fracture fixation procedures and provided conservative treatment in only a small portion of patients who were in facilities or areas heavily impacted by COVID-19.

SmartTRAK reviews the impact and underlying reasons behind the high turnover rate among CEOs in the wound care market.

At the end of November 2020, Zlatko Rihter assumed his role as the new CEO for Mölnlycke*, which means that all top four Advanced Wound Care players now have CEOs with less than three years in office. As a matter of fact, seven or eight of the top 10 players have appointed new CEOs in the last three years, depending on how you count Acelity being acquired by 3M.

The average time in office for a CEO among the 2,500 largest public companies is around seven years. Most of the transitions are planned (70%), some are forced out (15%), and some are consequences of mergers (15%). In US hospitals, the turnover rate among CEOs is close to six years.

While the reason for replacing the CEO is sometimes not clear, in most cases it is. SmartTRAK reviews what is behind the transition in CEOs at the top wound care companies and what it means for the Advanced Wound Care market, which is estimated to be have generated $7.4B in the last 12 months according to SmartTRAK forecasts.