SmartTRAK highlights three innovative start-ups with next-gen spine robots in development: Cyber Surgery, LEM Surgical and SpinEM Robotics.

The landscape of spine robotics has undergone a remarkable transformation in recent years, with advancements in technology revolutionizing the approach to spinal surgeries. As we step into 2024, there’s a race in the Spine Enabling Technology Market among companies to develop state-of-the-art robotic systems. The demand for minimally invasive spinal surgeries has been a driving force in the evolution of spine-enabling technologies. 

SmartTRAK highlights companies to watch as they continue their double-digit growth train with multiple catalysts for expansion in 2024.

Overall, the US Spine Market had a remarkable year in 2023 with the completion of the Globus/NuVasive (GMED) merger creating a new #2 in Spine, displacing the incumbent DePuy Synthes (JNJ). SmartTRAK estimates the US Spine Hardware Market grew ~5.5% in 2023. However, many pure-play spine companies exceeded industry growth with exceptional, double-digit growth rates in 2023, while others approached the $100MM revenue milestone. In this article, SmartTRAK highlights five pure-play spine companies to watch and the catalysts driving their expansion in 2024.

 

Continued Double-Digit Growth in 2024

SmartTRAK  expects three spine companies to see continued double-digit growth in 2024, particularly based on competitive moats developing and the ability to execute in their respective purviews, They are:

• Alphatec Spine: Expanding Its Competitive Moat in Lateral Procedures
  • Alphatec has grown double digits yearly over the last five years. ATEC is now the #1 pure-play Spine Market leader and #5 in the overall Spine Market. These market share gains can be attributed to ... (read more)
• SI-Bone: Competition Will Test the SI Fusion Market Leader in 2024
  • SI-Bone has grown double digits over the past three years. SIBN is the market leader in minimally invasive spine (MIS) SI Fusion with over 55% market share in the SI Fusion Market and more than ... (read more)
• Centinel Spine: Fastest Growing Spine Company in 2023
  • In 2023, Centinel Spine was the fastest-growing spine company in one of the fastest-growing areas in spine, motion preservation. Centinel Spine reported record worldwide total disc replacement (TDR) revenue of nearly ... (read more)

Companies Closing in on $100MM in 2024

Both Spinal Elements and Xtant Medical came close to reaching the $100MM revenue mark in 2023 and SmartTRAK expects both to reach that lofty milestone in 2024. 

• Spinal Elements: Focus on MIS Innovation, the Aging Spine and ASCs
  • Spinal Elements was just shy of $100MM in revenues in 2023. The company is focused on some of the fastest-growing trends in spine including ... (read more)
• Xtant Medical:  Integrated Hardware, Biologics and More Acquisitions
  • Xtant Medical (XTNT) is also closing in on the $100MM revenue mark, growing +54.5% over 2022. XTNT had an exciting year of acquisition activity, including ... (read more)

To download the complete "Spine Market Movers to Watch in 2024" article by SmartTRAK's  Kris Jacques, please just click the button below.

SmartTRAK highlights key trends and happenings in sports medicine and arthroscopy at AAOS 2024.

The American Academy of Orthopaedic Surgeons (AAOS) convened this year in San Francisco, California, from February 12-16. Following several years of subdued participation due to the COVID-19 pandemic, last year's strong showing at AAOS in Las Vegas fostered expectations for a continuation of momentum this year. Despite lower-than-projected attendance from medical professionals, the event featured a robust presence of large and small companies presenting their products and services. So, what was the buzz at the meeting?

In this Perspective article, which can be downloaded here, SmartTRAK highlights key takeaways from AAOS for companies competing in the Sports Medicine Market, including the following topics:

• Continued Interest in Biologic-driven Soft Tissue Fixation
  Companies are still helping drive soft tissue fixation sales through the use of biologics, which now are key advancements in technology at the forefront of sports medicine surgical procedures. Smith+Nephew continues to drive its Sports Medicine business with ... (read more)
  
  
• Ongoing Focus on the ASC Market
  Companies at AAOS had a prominent focus on the Ambulatory Surgery Center (ASC) Market. According to the SmartTRAK US Ortho ASC Market Overview, as of 2022, there were over ... (read more)
  
  
• Developments in Arthroscopic Technologies
  Another common theme on display across the AAOS 2024 exhibit floor was the showcasing of surgical video technologies. All the big players in sports medicine had their video systems on display, and some notable systems stood out. Stryker highlighted its newest ... (read more)

To download and read the complete "Highlights in Sports Medicine and Arthroscopy from AAOS 2024" Perspective article by Andy Knapik, SmartTRAK Senior Analyst, Soft Tissue Fixation and Arthroscopic Enabling Technologies, just click the button below.

Forces likely to influence the Total Joints Market in 2024

Final Q423 US Total Joints Market results are expected to solidify above pre-COVID growth rates for 2023. The post-pandemic patient backlog sustained strong market performance in 2023 despite tough comparisons and a challenging economic environment with rising inflation and the threat of a recession looming over healthcare consumers. What will the future hold? In this article, SmartTRAK looks at some of the trends to watch in 2024, including:

• Mixed Predictions Regarding Patient Backlog
  Several Companies including Zimmer Biomet are banking on the backlog of patients to continue boosting procedure growth through 2024. Wall Street analysts, however, are more tempered in their forward-looking projections.
• US Economic Factors Buoying Consumer Confidence
  The demand for health care is typically more resilient in the face of weaker economic conditions. However, improvements in some economic conditions in the US during 2024 are expected to buoy consumer confidence.
  
• Ongoing Shift to Outpatient Site-of-Care Despite Reimbursement Decline
  Eligible patients are continuing to choose joint replacement surgery in an outpatient or ambulatory surgery center (ASC) setting in increasing numbers. New ASCs springing up around the country are giving potential patients expanded site-of-care options.
• Ongoing Influence of ASC Economics
  ASCs facing lower reimbursement rates compared to hospital outpatient and inpatient settings will continue to look for product solutions that improve efficiency and reduce the overall cost of care.
  
• New Product Launches to Watch
  New and early-stage hip and knee product launches for both large and mid-tier Joint Replacement Market players will drive revenue growth.
  
  

Just click the button below to download and read the complete "Total Joints 2024 Trends to Watch" market outlook article and analysis by Lisa Mahan, SmartTRAK's VP Product Development & IT, Sr. Analyst TJ&E.

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SmartTRAK is the Medtech industry’s only global Insights-as-a-Service solution for the Orthopedics, Wound Care, Regenerative Medicine and Neuro Therapy markets. SmartTRAK’s propriety methodology turns disparate data from hundreds of sources into powerful insights customers can rely on as the trusted source for strategic decision-making. The SmartTRAK enterprise platform includes rich daily updates, comprehensive market coverage and simple-to-use tools and dashboards for market, product and financial analysis. Customers leveraging the SmartTRAK platform also have direct access to market experts for inquiries and advisory services. If you would like a demo of what SmartTRAK offers and how we can help increase proficiency, improve productivity and reduce costs for your company, just click here.

Anika’s President and CEO Cheryl Blanchard, Ph.D., discusses the Company’s expanding portfolio of shoulder preservation solutions

Anika Therapeutics entered the Reverse Shoulder Market this year with the US market release of the RevoMotion Reverse Shoulder Arthroplasty System, expanding their complement of products for shoulder joint preservation and replacement. This new offering allows the Company to compete in the rapidly growing US Market for Reverse Shoulders. Lisa Mahan, SmartTRAK Senior Analyst Total Joints & Extremities, talked with Cheryl Blanchard, PhD, President and CEO of Anika, to discuss the launch of RevoMotion, along with the X-Twist Fixation System, Integrity Patch System, Cingal next generation OA injectable and Tactoset Injectable Bone Substitute.

 

The Interview

 

SmartTRAK: RevoMotion has been out almost nine months now in limited release and you just went to full market release. Congratulations. How is that going?

Cheryl Blanchard: Thank you! Anika announced the full market release of the RevoMotion Reverse Shoulder Arthroplasty System (RSA) during the 2023 Orthopaedic Summit (OSET) Annual Meeting September 20-23 in Boston, MA and the response has been overwhelmingly positive.

We began the limited launch in January 2023 and have performed over 100 cases since then. The feedback we received and the response during the limited market release was impressive as some of the first patients in have already returned to their surgeons and asked for the same implant to be placed in their other shoulder. To have patients far enough into recovery to want the RevoMotion RSA in their other shoulder says a lot about the system and its future success. The limited release allowed us to collect feedback to better optimize the instrumentation and surgical technique for the full market release as well. Though we finished gathering feedback months ago, manufacturing instrument sets and system components takes time. That brought us right to our full market release during OSET in September.

We know that the reverse shoulder market is a crowded space. Given that probably 80% of the market is reverse shoulders, for Anika we knew we had something incredible to offer clinicians and patients based on the historic Arthrosurface design philosophies focused on bone sparing, motion preservation and anatomic design features. We also knew that with the data-backed and trusted OVOMotion with Inlay Glenoid Total Shoulder Arthroplasty System, it would be difficult to penetrate the full shoulder arthroplasty market without having a reverse option.

Additionally, there is a big shift of a lot of these products and procedures into the ASC setting. We will possibly see even more products coming into the ASC when CMS changes how they reimburse and we realized that there was a real opportunity to provide optimized instrument trays that would reduce the operating room footprint. RevoMotion has a two-tray instrumentation system that is very streamlined. The surgical technique is also very streamlined. We're hearing great feedback on it and we're excited to be in full market release coming into the fourth quarter.

That's wonderful. You mentioned the instrument trays and some of the design. If there was one thing that differentiates RevoMotion from other reverse shoulders on the market, what would you say that is?

CB:We believe and continue to hear feedback from surgeon users that having the smallest threaded glenoid base plate on the market is one of the biggest differentiators. Personally, I didn't understand the true significance of that until I started to speak directly with surgeons who had used the system. Listening to real-time feedback and observing in the OR, you realize it's a major benefit as it provides...

To download and read the complete transcript of the interview with Anika’s President & CEO Cheryl Blanchard conducted by Lisa Mahan, VP Product Development & IT, Sr. Analyst TJ&E, just click the button below.