The US Total Joints Market grew +3.4% in Q319, according to SmartTRAK Financial Dashboard, a sequential improvement over Q2’s 1.8% growth. While the extra selling day in the quarter boosted revenue for most Companies, slightly improved pricing and new product introductions also contributed. Wells Fargo’s Larry Biegelsen estimated recon pricing – based on Stryker, Zimmer Biomet, JNJ/DePuy Synthes, and Smith & Nephew– improved to -1.8% YoY. This sequential improvement in growth and pricing is encouraging especially in the face of a difficult comp from Q318 ...

Among the many topics covered in the complete, comprehensive Q319 Total Joints Market Recap* are:

The US Surgical Matrices Market grew tepidly in Q319,  up +1.2% YoY,  down from its +3.5% growth in Q219. 

The overall US Surgical Matrices market had minimal growth for the quarter at +1.2% YoY, a decline from Q219. The Breast segment contracted -1.5% YoY and a 34.7% share of the entire Surgical Matrices market. The Hernia Repair market continued its modest growth at +2.6% YoY and a 65.3% share of the US Surgical Matrices Market in Q319.

In Q319, Allergan’s hold on the Breast Matrices segment slipped further due to supply chain issues with its AlloDerm ADM, but the Company maintained its leadership of the Surgical Matrices market a 32.3% share. BD continued its growth in their biosynthetic hernia matrices business and maintained No. 2 market position, with revenues of ...

The WW Spine Hardware market saw a return to growth in Q319 with +3.6% growth, the highest growth rate this market has seen in at least 2 years. An uptick in procedure volumes across the board drove robust US market growth of +5.7%. WFS analysts estimate the Q319 Spine market (excluding Infuse) accelerated 90bps sequentially on a stacked two-year basis with Medtronic, Globus and NuVasive taking share from DePuy Synthes, Stryker and Zimmer Biomet.

Whether you are a patient, a provider or product manufacturer it’s difficult to make it through the day without being reminded that healthcare is expensive. Many patients see it in their rising premiums, copays and deductibles. Providers feel it when their reimbursement gets cut or is capped, and product manufacturers experience it when they hear, “it’s too expensive.”

I’ll be the first to admit that I am not a New England Patriots fan. As a matter of fact I get rather irritated when they win year after year. Nevertheless, it’s hard to not appreciate the spirit of teamwork that has propelled the Patriots organization to win six Super Bowl titles. As we know, teamwork does not suggest the absence of conflict; however, it does express the willingness of a group of people, with individual talents, to work together to achieve a goal. Teamwork between clinicians, policy representatives and product manufacturers is crucial to winning the battle of healing wounds, salvaging limbs and saving lives. Three key takeaways from Day 2 of Desert Foot 2019 lend support to this point.

Clinical thought-leaders and product developers convened in the heart of downtown Phoenix, Arizona at Desert Foot 2019 to share knowledge and showcase innovative technologies that aim to improve the quality of life of patients with lower extremity disorders. As a demonstration of the eagerness and commitment to share knowledge, Day 1 began bright and early at 6:00 am with a session highlighting cases in limb preservation and ended at 6:45 pm with a session questioning if there was a resurgence in amputations in patients with diabetic foot. Whether planned or not, this was a thoughtful way to bookend the day by emphasizing the potential good and bad outcomes of this vulnerable patient population...

Ahead of the Desert Foot conference, SmartTRAK interviewed Dr. Michael Shore, Director of Medical Education and a founding member of PRESENT e-Learning Systems, to preview the conference which is being held Dec 4-7, 2019 in Phoenix, AZ

The multi-specialty conference provides comprehensive education for the overall management of the high-risk foot and lower extremities for podiatrists and other clinicians. Attendees will benefit from a wide variety of presentations, hands-on workshops and scientific research and will see cutting edge technology presented by the largest medical device and pharmaceutical companies in the industry.

To find our more about Desert Foot 2019, as well as PRESENT e-learning Systems, click on the following video to listen to SmartTRAK’s interview with Dr. Shore. (16:45 min)

Are you headed to Vegas for this year’s Orthopaedic Summit (OSET)? We sat down with Kristina Meyer, SmartTRAK’s Senior Analyst for Sports Medicine, for our new series, Know Before You Go, to get the scoop on what she’s looking forward to ahead of the meeting.

OSET will take place December 11-14th at the Bellagio in Las Vegas. The meeting touts itself as the “premier gathering of Total Joint (Knee, Hip, Shoulder), Foot & Ankle, Sports Medicine, Arthroscopic, Spine and Trauma Surgeons, Physician Assistants, Nurse Practitioners, Athletic Trainers, Physical and Occupational Therapists from across the globe.” Orthopaedic Summit 

SmartTRAK’s team is excited to attend and exhibit. Stop by the SmartTRAK booth, #128, to talk with Kristina and the SmartTRAK team about the latest news, trends and intelligence impacting the orthopedic industry.

1. Kristina, you are currently gearing up to attend OSET 2019. What are you looking forward to the most about the meeting?

Headed to Desert Foot? We have you covered.

SmartTRAK’s Senior Analyst for Advanced Wound Care, Terry Hayslett, is headed to Phoenix, Arizona for the 2019 Desert Foot Conference. We caught up with him ahead of the December 4-7th meeting as part of our new Know Before You Go series.

Desert Foot is one of the premier advanced wound care meetings. The meeting is held annually in Phoenix. “The conference brings together six groups involved with limb salvage preservation of the lower extremity from the Veterans Administration, VA Podiatric Residency Directors, Arizona Podiatric Medical Association, Association for the Advancement of Wound Care (AAWC), the Department of Defense, and healthcare professionals in the private sector, from across the country to a single conference to best meet their educational needs.” Desert Foot

1. Terry, you will soon be attending Desert Foot. What is it about this meeting that you are most excited about?

Julianne Burns, SmartTRAK's Senior Analyst, Spine, just returned from attending the 2019 Cervical Spine Research Society's (CSRS) 47th Annual Meeting in New York City.

Julianne discusses highlights from the meeting, including what’s on the horizon for the cervical spine market and the trend toward moving cervical spine procedures to an ASC setting in an interview with SmartTRAK Managing Editor Anne Staylor.

Click the video below to hear the interview, and scroll down to read the transcript.