As the world slowly adapts to the "new normal",  SmartTRAK continues to report 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. And, if you are going to Chicago for the big Orthopedics conference in March, visit us at Booth #4350 or you can schedule a meeting with us...just click here.

SmartTRAK features curated content by our team of industry experts, bringing the most relevant information and insight directly to you in real time. Learn about the latest news, emerging technologies or start-ups to watch, conference happenings and more via articles, videos and interviews.

The following is just a small sampling of recent Orthopedic updates from around the world compiled, reviewed and posted daily by our SmartTRAK analysts.

New Products:

• Journey ll* - Smith+Nephew*
  

  Smith+Nephew announced the first completed surgery using its JOURNEY II Medial Dished (MD) System for total knee arthroplasty. The procedure was performed by Dr. Ran Schwarzkopf, Orthopedic Adult Hip and Knee Reconstruction at NYU Langone Health.

• Zimmer Biomet*  
  

  Zimmer Biomet is anticipating the launch of Persona* cementless knees later in 2022 incorporating a design for improved press-fit fixation. The Company has < 10% penetration in cementless w/ runway ahead for the new knee to take off. ZBH Q421 Earnings Transcript on Unhedged.com

• Biogennix*  
  

  On FY21 performance, Biogennix’s CEO Chris MacDuff also mentioned the Company saw increasing sales for its newest product, Agilon Moldable, esp in the F&A surgery market. The company also continued to see consistently strong growth of Agilon Moldable in the spine market segment.

Patents:

• CONMED* 

  Conmed’s US Patent Application “Dual Expansion Anchor” was published describing a suture anchor with an expanding function for biceps tenodesis. 20220039792

• Expandable Intervertebral Device
  

  A US Patent Application “EXPANDABLE INTERVERTEBRAL DEVICE,” submitted by the Moskowitz Family, LLC of Rockville, MD was published describing a universal zero-profile expandable intervertebral spacer device for fusion & distraction throughout the entire spine. 20220039963

• Stryker*

  Howmedica Osteonics’ US Patent Application “ORTHOPEDIC SURGICAL PLANNING BASED ON SOFT TISSUE AND BONE DENSITY MODELING” was published describing virtual surgery planning using a mixed-reality headset display. 20220039868

OsteoCentric Technologies' CMO Gavin Sontag discusses the Company and its OssiMI mechanical integration technology in an interview with SmartTRAK.

Gavin Sontag, CMO of OsteoCentric Technologies, discusses OsteoCentric's OssiMI platform technology, company growth rates and plans for expansion in an interview with SmartTRAK. To find out more, including why OsteoCentric acquired an SI-Fusion system, click on the following video. A link to download the complete transcript of the interview is also provided below.

Covid-19 Delta surges shatter dreams of strong Q321 market recovery

Surges in COVID-19 Delta cases shattered any dreams of a strong Q321 Total Joints market recovery. Postponement of elective procedures in various areas of the US again negatively impacted Companies pushing out hopes for a return to normal into 2022. In addition to procedure recovery challenges, China’s Volume-Based Procurement program that aims to reduce implant pricing may headwind to the WW Total Joints market in the coming year.

Among the many topics covered in detail in our comprehensive Q321 Total Joints Market Recap* are:

• Complete Q321 Total Joints Market Overview and Highlights
• SmartTRAK's Expert Analysis and Insights
• Total Joints News including Revenues, Data, Charts and Shares
• US Market Growth Comparison Q321 vs Q319
• New Products Hitting the Stage
• Q321 Regulatory Highlights 

What seems to be on everyone’s mind – COVID-19 recovery and ASC trends

The COVID-19 pandemic reduced the attendance at the 2021 American Academy of Orthopedic Surgeon (AAOS) annual meeting to an estimated 1/5 ^th of its usual number. Many international surgeons found themselves under travel restrictions while some US surgeons were asked by their institutions to forego the meeting. The pandemic also impacted the conversations taking place on the convention floor with two topics seeming to be top of mind – the recovery from COVID-19 and the ongoing move of joint replacement procedures to the outpatient setting.

At AAOS 2021, SmartTRAK spoke with clinicians and industry executives to obtain their view regarding the pandemic and recovery from COVID-19. Although speculation varied depending on individual circumstances,  some companies and healthcare institutions shared that supply chain issues are holding back the increase in business while others are facing regional shutdowns of elective procedures due to the surge of the Delta variant.

We are pleased to announce that Shelly Caruso has joined the team at SmartTRAK as a Market Analyst/Medical writer. Shelly has 8+ years in clinical healthcare, 4+ years neurosurgical and orthopedic intraoperative nursing working with medical devices at trauma centers and outpatient facilities, including cranial, spine, sports med, total joint and extremity. Shelly has a BA in economics and BSN in nursing and is a certified editor and member of The American Copy Editors Society.

Silicon Valley-based Panther Orthopedics provides nitinol superelastic fixation devices for the orthopedic trauma and sports medicine markets

Panther Orthopedics is an orthopedic medical technology company focused on developing superelastic fixation devices for trauma and sports medicine applications. The company’s first product, the PUMA system, is the only FDA-cleared superelastic fixation device and is indicated for syndesmosis fixation, hallux valgus reconstruction, and tarsometatarsal fixation. The PUMA System is the first and only FDA cleared superelastic fixation device that maintains continuous compression without creep.

Philip Procter, CEO of GPBio & Co-founder of Biomimetic Innovations, shares the OsStic journey of discovery and its path to commercialization in an interview with SmartTRAK

Philip Procter started on a quest several decades ago to solve trauma hardware failure in patients through the development of an adhesive solution. The journey began in earnest after a UK meeting with craniomaxillofacial surgeons facing difficult problems they felt could only be solved with an adhesive technology in combination with implants. Procter was convinced early on that the adhesive solution would have to come from nature studying everything from gecko-based technology to sticky frogs in Australia to Mytilus edulis (common mussel) food protein. But it was after demonstrating the potential of a prototype glue in Sweden in 2014 that his journey led him to become a faculty member of the University of Uppsala, Sweden, and he and his partner Dr Gerard Insley working together with Professor Håkan Engqvist and a team of students developed the technology that is known today as OsStic^: a technology with the potential to join implant to bone, bone to bone, soft tissue to bone, and soft tissue to soft tissue.

GPBio and PBC Biomed, both Irish-based companies, joined forces in 2020 to develop and commercialize the OsStic bone adhesive technology through the formation of a new company, Biomimetic Innovations Ltd. Company CEO Philip Procter shared more about the OsStic technology, how it came about and next steps for bringing the product to market in an interview with SmartTRAK’s Lisa Mahan. To find out more about the Company and its operation, click on the following video to listen to the interview, recorded via Uberconference. (17:49 min) A link to download a complete transcript of the interview is also provided below.

Robotics continued to help fuel growth in orthopedics in Q221 as new products and companies heat up the market and enabling technologies gain momentum across TJR.

Once again, robotics contributed to revenue growth in the orthopedics market in Q221 and competition continues to heat up with several regulatory clearances and other developments from new market entrants in the quarter. Aside from robotics, enabling technology including intra-operative augmented reality, preoperative planning and navigation reached a number of milestones in Q221 across all indications in total joint replacement.

Among the many topics, including company revenues, market shares, charts and expert analysis, covered in the comprehensive Q221 CAS Ortho Market Recap* are:

Pete Wehrly, CEO of VIVEX Biologics, discusses the Company and its diverse portfolio in orthopedics and wound care in an interview with SmartTRAK

In an interview with SmartTRAK, VIVEX Biologics’ CEO Pete Wehrly discusses how VIVEX’ diverse portfolio of regenerative solutions in orthopedics and wound care can potentially turn the regenerative medicine industry on its ear with an eye towards proving, through economic and clinical evidence, that its technologies are better than anything on the market today.

To find out more about the Company, its technologies and what’s next in terms of clinical research and reimbursement, click on the following video to see the interview recorded live at the North American Spine Society (NASS) Annual Meeting held in Boston Sept 29 to Oct 2, 2021 (11:24 min). A link to download the complete transcript of the interview is also provided below.

New product introductions and innovative technologies set the stage for AOFAS 2021.

At the American Orthopaedic Foot & Ankle Society (AOFAS) meeting in Charlotte, NC, SmartTRAK identified several key themes and takeaways from the meeting as manufacturers showcased innovation through new product introductions, continue to focus on hallux valgus corrections and the associated instrumentation allowing for reproducible outcomes and the advancements of 3D printed solutions.

The Luster of New Products Help Drive Healthy Foot & Ankle Competition

The foot & ankle space does not look like it is slowing down anytime soon based on the products highlighted at AOFAS. Innovation is helping to drive growth in the US market for Foot & Ankle Repair and Reconstruction, which is projected to reach a 5-year CAGR of +4.9% according to SmartTRAK’s Foot & Ankle Market Overview. Newsworthy highlights include: