This Year’s AAOS Annual Meeting was no different--scientific bodies are still divided on the efficacy of HA therapy and it remains a “bête noire” sitting outside of the gold standard for the treatment of patients affected by knee OA.

For some time now, hyaluronic acid (HA) viscosupplement injections (aka intra-articular (IA) HA injections) have become a standard and an integral part of the physician’s armamentarium in the treatment continuum for an ever-growing number of patients suffering from knee osteoarthritis (OA). With OA universally established as the most prevalent form of arthritis afflicting the US population, SmartTRAK estimates that approximately 2.3 million HA injection procedures will be performed for knee OA alone.  Yet, confusion and debates persist over the efficacy of HA therapy, product composition and source of the HA, volume and number of injections, treatment cost and, more recently, regulatory classification for HA products. SmartTRAK believes that the plethora of studies on the use of HA injection that show varied results is ...

To download and read the complete article by Freddy Buntoum, Sr. Analyst, Orthobiologics and Regenerative Medicine at SmartTRAK, please click the button below.

The US Spine market appears to be continuing on a skyward trajectory...but what’s really on the horizon for Spine?

With Q221 year-over-year growth up almost 46%, the US Spine market appears to be continuing on a skyward trajectory. However, as compared to Q219, Q221 saw growth of only +1.3%, reflecting ongoing COVID challenges. What’s really on the horizon for Spine? While the first half of 2021 has certainly looked much brighter than 2020, one big question remains: how big of an impact will the Delta variant surge have on the back half of the year?

Among the many topics covered in detail in our comprehensive Q221 Spine Market Recap* are:

Soft Tissue Fixation Continues to Pick Up Steam in Q2 2021

With the world trying to move past the negative impacts of COVID-19, the Soft Tissue Fixation market continued to make significant advancements in the second quarter of 2021. The quarter saw a continued rise in case volumes for elective sports medicine procedures worldwide driven primarily through market recovery in the wake of the COVID-19 pandemic. 

Among the many topics covered in detail in our comprehensive Q221 Soft Tissue Fixation Market Recap* are:

The SmartTRAK team is excited to head to Boston for the North American Spine Society (NASS) meeting. Need better business intelligence? Visit us at Booth 3719. SmartTRAK is the most comprehensive business intelligence platform for the MedTech industry. SmartTRAK's real-time data allows everyone in your organization to tap into the same data to drive strategic consistency and increase collaboration across your enterprise. Watch the video below to learn how SmartTRAK can help.

Planning to go to NASS? SmartTRAK will be represented in Boston by:

• Julianne Burns, GM, Spine
• Elise Wolf, VP & GM, Orthopedics
• Kristina Meyer, CCO
• Matt Golembeski, Dir. of Sales
• Joe Mish, Dir. of Sales
• Tim Patrick, Sr. Manager of Corporate Accounts

Meet with us in Boston to learn more about what's coming down the road, including:

• Integration: Combine our data with yours and integrate it into your data analytic platform.
• Customization: Tailor SmartTRAK to match your company's business and create your own business intelligence solution.
• Expanded Functionality: Drive strategic consistency across your enterprise with user-specific enhancements and increase collaboration across your team

Schedule a meeting today!
We know you're going to love what's coming down the road!

Trauma market rebounds as top segments drive growth amid easy YoY comps

The Trauma Market experienced another quarter of healthy growth as the WW and US Trauma Markets ended Q221 up YoY compared to Q220.  Looking forward to Q321, SmartTRAK feels that trauma procedures will likely not be as heavily impacted by the rise in the Delta variant as its elective procedure counterparts. We will continue to monitor the situation as the variant impacts states, as recently observed in Texas.

Among the many topics covered in detail in our comprehensive Q221 Trauma Market Recap* are:

At AAOS 2021, outgoing President Joseph Bosco III, MD, shares the positive changes in orthopedics accelerated by COVID-19 from the move of procedures to ASCs to increased use of technology

Joseph Bosco III, MD, vice-chair of clinical affairs for NYU Langone Orthopedics and outgoing president of the American Academy of Orthopedic Surgeons (AAOS) presided over the Academy during a transformative time accelerated by COVID-19. Dr. Bosco began his presidency in March 2020 just as the pandemic shut down many areas of the US impacting the healthcare system and orthopedic procedures. As Dr. Bosco prepared to turn over the reins at AAOS 2021, he spoke with SmartTRAK about his experience during the year and how the pandemic and technology are creating opportunities and accelerating trends that will change the practice of orthopedics for years to come.

To find out more, click on the following video. A link to download a complete transcript of the interview is also available below.

SmartTRAK: Lisa Mahan here with Smart Track. Today, I have the honor to be talking to Dr. Joseph Bosco, III, outgoing president of the American Academy of Orthopedic Surgeons. Dr. Bosco, thank you for talking to me today.

Dr. Joseph Bosco: Well, thank you for having me.

Ending your term as president of AAOS must be a bit bittersweet. You've served during a challenging time with the disruption from COVID. How was it navigating through the pandemic?

3D printing technologies continue to gain traction in total talus replacement, particularly as research demonstrates it’s an effective surgical option for patients with avascular necrosis. SmartTRAK highlights three recent studies illustrating how custom 3D printed metal implants are being used in total talus replacement surgery to restore normal joint anatomy and maintain joint range of motion.

SmartTRAK will be attending the 2021 American Orthopaedic Foot & Ankle Society Meeting in Charlotte, NC, Sept 22-25, to learn more about this technology and other advancements in foot & ankle treatment. Click for information on AOFAS and how to meet with us while in Charlotte to find out what SmartTRAK can do for you.

1) Three Dimension Printing Talar Prostheses for Total Replacement in Talar Necrosis and Collapse

• • SmartTRAK Analyst Summary:
    • A retrospective study evaluated anatomical talar replacement & clinical results of 9 patients w/ talar necrosis & collapse (TNC) using 3D printed metal talus implants and reported talar height increased 6.97mm & AOFAS hindfoot score improved 53.34mm at mean follow-up of 23.17 months. Int Orthop
  •  Conclusion:
    • The study concludes "The 3D printing patient-specific total talar prostheses allowed anatomical reconstruction in TNC. This novel treatment with 3D-printed prostheses could serve as a reliable patient-specific alternative in TNC.”
      
      

After another difficult year, it's time to get out there and start reconnecting in person. SmartTRAK is excited to be traveling to Charlotte, NC to attend AOFAS at the Charlotte Convention Center, September 21-25.

SmartTRAK will be represented by Natasha Weeks, General Manager, Trauma & Extremities. Natasha is also managing our 3 newest modules, Pediatric Trauma, Pediatric Extremities and Pediatric Spine. If you would like to meet with Natasha while attending the meeting, just click here.

Now that we're back to in-person meetings, it's time to resume our continuing series Know Before You Go, so I sat down and asked Natasha a few questions about what she is looking forward to at AOFAS.

We are excited to announce the addition of the full market view of Orthopedic Pediatrics (US) to the SmartTRAK platform, featuring 3 modules covering Pediatric Trauma, Pediatric Extremities and Pediatric Spine!

Natasha Weeks, General Manager, Trauma & Extremities, will be managing Pediatric Trauma & Extremities and the Spine module will be managed by Julianne Burns, General Manager, Spine.

In the following video, Lindsey Wolejko, SmartTRAK's Director of Marketing, discusses with Natasha and Julianne what's included in each new module and why we're so excited about these additions to the SmartTRAK platform. To request more information about these offerings, please click here.

Q221 brought mixed reviews for Total Joints as Hips exceed pre-COVID levels and Knees fall flat

The Total Joints market accelerated sequentially with a return of patients and procedural volume growth in the quarter. However, compared to 2019, results varied by segment, The Hip Replacement segment put in the best performance with the US Hip Market in Q221 compared to pre-COVID’s Q219 levels. US Knees did not experience the same level of success as revenues were down.

Among the many topics covered in detail in our comprehensive Q221 Total Joints Market Recap* are:

• Complete Q221 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 Q221 vs Q219
• Acquisitions, Deals & Financing News
• New Products Hitting the Stage
• Q221 Regulatory Highlights