Headed to AAHKS? Our VP of Content Development for Orthopedics, Lisa Mahan, weighs in on what's trending ahead of the meeting. 

A hot topic at #AAHKS2019 this year will be the move towards outpatient joint replacement surgery with CMS moving to reimburse hospital outpatient total hip replacement and reimbursement of total knee replacement in an ASC setting.

• Outpatient hip and knee replacement surgeries are expected to comprise 57% of all nonfracture knee and hip replacements by the year 2020. ACS Focus
• AAHKS currently does not believe CMS has taken adequate action to address issues arising from

At the beginning of the 2019, SmartTRAK looked ahead to the coming year and identified market and technology trends that were likely to shape the Joint Replacement Market landscape in 2019 and beyond. Now that we're approaching the end of the year, here is another look at our predictions.

So what did we see in store for the Total Joints Market? Overall, the theme heading into the new year could be summed up as “Improved Care, Proven Value.” Here are some of the trends we predicted would be worth watching:

SmartTRAK predicts Orthobiologic’s top market and technology trends to watch in 2019

At the beginning of the year, SmartTRAK took a look back at 2018 and identified continuing and emerging trends in the market for Orthobiologics that were likely to shape the landscape in 2019 and beyond. Now that we're approaching the end of the year, take another look at our predictions for 2019.

So what did we see in store for Orthobiologics? Here are SmartTRAK’s predictions for the top market and technology trends to watch:

Balancing Sales Growth Trajectory and Portfolio Reshaping

As competition heats up, companies will continue to identify tailwinds and headwinds that sway sales growth and will reshape portfolios accordingly. Sustaining above-market growth rates will take creativity, especially in stagnate markets like spine or in areas that face access challenges. Expect focused efforts around adding/expanding higher growth-higher margin products, shedding lower growth-lower margin product lines and expanding market penetration or margins for the “low-hanging fruit” prospects....

SmartTRAK Interviews Carl Hasselman, MD about Arthrosurface’s alternative to toe fusions

Arthrosurface showcased its new BOSS Toe Fixation System at the American Orthopaedic Foot & Ankle Society’s (AOFAS 2019) Annual Meeting held September 11–15 in Chicago, IL. Recently 510k cleared, the system improves stabilization in a first metatarsal with a distal bone void. The Boss Toe Screw fills the current product gap in implant solutions for failed synthetic implants. The system provides an option for patients who want to avoid a toe fusion while regaining motion and enjoying an active lifestyle.

To find out more about the new BOSS Toe Fixation System, its benefits, and how it fits in Arthrosurface’s existing line of HemiCAP DF implants and ToeMotion Systems, SmartTRAK interviewed Carl Hasselman, MD, University of Pittsburgh Medical Center, at AOFAS 2019.

To listen to SmartTRAK’s interview with Dr. Hasselman, click on the following video (11:14 minutes). A transcript of the interview is also provided below.

Expanding Applications and New Robotic Launches on the Horizon

Enabling technologies in spine surgery continued to gain market acceptance in Q219 given benefits including lower revision rates, ability to market to patients and ability to plan the surgery beforehand, bolstered by several presentations on the benefits of computer-assisted spine surgery at the International Society for Computer-Assisted Orthopaedic Surgery (CAOS) meeting, held in New York City in June. While questions on long-term clinical benefits associated with robotic-assisted surgery remain, CAOS President, Dr. Patrick Meere, believes robotics in spine and orthopedics will continue to gain traction. In SmartTRAK’s interview with Dr. Meere in the article “CAOS 2019: A Synergy of Advanced Technologies,” he noted, “There is not a single venture in the medical field where robotic technologies entered and exited. They have always persisted. There may well be a lag, there may be naysayers, and there may be ...

Among the many topics covered in the complete Q219 CAS Spine Market Recap* are:

Trauma segment experiences slight sequential gains as product intros gain traction and companies overcome supply disruption.

The WW Trauma Market ended Q2 posting +1.5% (reported) growth, with the US Market driving growth up 3.6% YOY, slightly up sequentially compared to Q1’s 3.2% gains. Internationally, Europe and ROW fared worse due to missed tenders, with -2.1% and -1.1% growth, respectively. Looking forward, SmartTRAK anticipates the trauma segment will see...

Among the many topics covered in the complete Q219 Trauma Market Recap* are:

Strategy and focus in Sports Medicine for H119

Looking back on the first half of 2019, SmartTRAK reported solid growth, +3.9% in the US and +3.2% WW, across the board in the Soft Tissue Fixation Market. After several years of acquisitions within the Sports Medicine Market, the major players are all able to boast about well-rounded portfolios and the ability to compete in a majority of the Sports Medicine subspecialties. Subspecialty focus, strategy and shifts in market share are now becoming the keys to success in this market. Industry meetings such as American Association of Orthopedic Surgeons (AAOS), Arthroscopy Association of North America (AANA) and American Orthopaedic Society for Sports Medicine (AOSSM) revealed...

Among the many topics covered in the H119 Soft Tissue Fixation Market Recap* are:

Sales strategy, market reach and evidence-based medicine drives strong Orthobiologics performance

SmartTRAK reports that Q219 performance in the OrthoBio market was strong, up 6% YoY, exceeding SmartTRAK expectations. As expected, Medtronic was the overall OrthoBio market leader, followed by DePuy Synthes and Stryker. Overall, all OrthoBio technologies grew year-over-year except for Spinal Constructs, Soft Tissue Augmentation and Synthetic Cartilage. Although the Spine market has stabilized, Spinal Constructs continues to slowly lose share due to...

Among the many topics covered in the Q219 OrthoBio Market Recap* are:

Tough YoY comps, delays and salesforce disruptions slows growth

The WW Market for Foot & Ankle Fixation was up +2.0%, as reported, during Q219, although down sequentially due to tough YoY comps. The US Foot & Ankle Fixation market also experienced a sequential decline in growth. The historically strong segment faced extremely tough YoY comparisons along with no new product launches to spur growth. H119 US growth of...

Among the many topics covered in the Q219 Extremities Market Recap* are:

Ahead of the Orthopedic Trauma Association (OTA) meeting, see what SmartTRAK’s Senior Analyst for Trauma & Extremities, Natasha Weeks, has to say about the latest trends in Trauma.

Natasha recently wrote a fascinating and informative article, " Trauma: Top Trends to Watch in 2019 and Beyond", in which she took a look back at 2018 and identified continuing and emerging trauma trends in the market that are likely to shape the landscape in 2019 and beyond. If you would like to download the article and discover SmartTRAK’s predictions for the top trauma market trends to watch, just click the button below.