FY18 showed solid gains in all segments, up +5.7% YoY, as antimicrobial devices take the lead.

Q418 US Spine market remains fairly flat, rounding out a stable but unremarkable FY18.

SmartTRAK’s Financial Dashboard indicates a fairly flat Q418 US Spine market, with a decline of -0.4%. Similarly, for the full year, the US Spine Market was stable, with +0.9% growth. WW revenues increased modestly with a +1% uptick for FY2018. Spine market growth as a whole slowed sequentially to +1% in Q418 from +2% in Q3 according to estimates. Growth continues to be restricted in the US Spine market by a few key factors. Payer pushback is the norm, and while most surgical practices have learned to deal with it, the environment is ever-changing with new obstacles and hurdles.

Among the many topics covered in SmartTRAK's Q418/FY18 Spine Market Recap are:

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Pricing pressure and tough comps slow year end growth

SmartTRAK reports that pricing pressure and a slow down in elective procedures impacted the Extremities market overall, with US Market growth down sequentially from +4.7% seen in Q318 to +3.5% in Q418. The Extremities market no longer seems to be able to fly under the radar and, as healthcare facilities look to maximize reimbursement in all areas, pricing for legacy products are facing discounting. In addition to pricing pressure, economic uncertainty in the US during Q4 led to some healthcare consumers choosing to put off elective procedures...

Among the many topics covered in the Q418/FY18 Extremities Market Recap:

Following the last fall's Advanced Wound Care meeting, SmartTRAK's Susan Paquette, VP Wound, reported on advances in negative pressure wound therapy (NPWT), fiber dressings and human dermal tissue and the latest research and company news, identifying what’s new and what’s next in the market for advanced wound care.

Revenues down again, owing to intense competitive pricing pressures

Pricing pressure continued to negatively impact the US Joint Fluid market, which experienced a decline of -7.9% based on Q418 revenues according to SmartTRAK Financial Dashboard. While this market continued to see unit volume increases, ASPs experienced notable declines over the past four quarters as a result of several companies not listing ASPs to CMS, which fueled competitive pricing. Additionally, revenues were impacted by the Anthem non-coverage decision that took effect in Q118 and kept impacting suppliers over the course of the year...

Among the many topics covered in the Q418/FY18 Joint Fluid Market Recap:

Typically, Q4 is a rebound quarter for Total Joints, but SmartTRAK reports that the Q418 US market experienced a sequential decline in growth from Q318’s unseasonably strong growth, due in part to easier YoY comps. In addition, Q4 growth was also slower than the same period last year. FY18 results for the US TJR market confirms a slowing in revenue growth compared to FY17. SmartTRAK believes that increased pricing pressure and a deceleration in procedure volumes during Q4 contributed to the lower growth...

01With the upcoming orthopedic conference season upon us, we thought it would be interesting to take a look back at a fascinating article written by Elise Wolf, Senior Analyst, Computer Assisted Surgery, from NASS 2108, discussing the future of robotics and other enabling technologies that created a buzz on the exhibit floor.

NASS 2018: New Technology in Computer-Assisted Surgery Takes Center Stage
Robotics, navigation and other enabling technologies were hot topics at the North American Spine Society’s (NASS) 33rd annual meeting, held September 25-28, 2018 in Los Angeles, CA. Manufacturers are developing a variety of computer-assisted surgery (CAS) technologies for spine surgery, including surgical planning systems, navigation systems, robotics, augmented reality (AR) technology and artificial intelligence (AI). While growth in the fusion market has slowed over the past few years due to pricing pressure, reduced procedure volumes and reimbursement non-coverage, robotic and other CAS technologies have offered means for growth...

SmartTRAK highlights trends shaping the Extremities Market

It’s no surprise orthopedic companies continue to focus on the Extremities market. Extremities has delivered overall growth in the US in the high single digits – above 6% for nearly all of 2018, according to SmartTRAK Financial Dashboard, and this growth trend is expected to extend through 2019.

So what else is influencing the Extremities market? Here are some trends to watch:

Doug Devens, SmartTRAK's Senior Analyst, Biosurgery wrote a fascinating article titled "Growth Amid Debate: Open vs Robotic Techniques for Inguinal Hernia Repair", in which he shines a light on issues and trends in robotic surgery and the market for inguinal hernia matrices.