As the impact of COVID continues to decrease, things are looking up for the Spine market. 

Q121 heralded what we all hope is the rebound from the COVID-related downturn, driven by healthcare resource prioritization and the postponement of non-emergent surgeries. The WW Spine Hardware achieved robust growth, according to SmartTRAK Financial Dashboard. Although January and February were again impacted by COVID, procedure volumes improved throughout the quarter, with Alphatec* (ATEC), NuVasive* (NUVA) and SeaSpine* (SPNE) all specifically calling out an uptick around the March timeframe.

It's time to get out there again and re-connect, and SmartTRAK is excited to be attending ISASS21, the International Society for the Advancement of Spine Surgery's 21st annual conference, at the Loews Miami Beach Hotel in South Beach Miami, May 13-15.

SmartTRAK will be represented by Julianne Burns, General Manager, Spine. Please contact us if you would like a meeting.

Click to read some recent SmartTRAKanalysis articles by Julianne that were featured on the blog:

• Top Trends in Spine in 2021: A Market in Motion
• Spine's Next Big Biomaterial: DiFusion Technologies’ ZFUZE

COVID-19 threw a curveball to spine and orthopedic implant companies in 2020 with the downturn in elective procedures, but one area that continued to make inroads was enabling technologies. Given increasing advances and expanding adoption of these technologies, even during uncertain times, SmartTRAK highlights some significant trends to watch in 2021, including:

1. Flexible Business Models
Companies with robots (Stryker*, MAKO*, Zimmer Biomet*, ROSA*, Smith & Nephew*, NAVIO*/CORI*, Medtronic*, Mazor X*, Globus*, Excelsius GPS) continued to grow at above-market growth in 2020. Record-breaking robotic and navigation system placements in Q3 and Q420 bode well for ...

An initially promising Q4 faltered under the weight of the COVID-19 resurgence, leading to a Q420 WW Spine Hardware Market decline of -1.0%. 

The continued rebound that everyone had been hoping for was dampened by the COVID-19 resurgence in Q420. While the quarter got off to a promising start, COVID headwinds picked up negatively impacting Spine procedure volumes due to challenges with hospital resource utilization and renewed restrictions around elective procedures. For example, NuVasive* management noted that the Company entered Q4 with relatively stable case volumes but experienced market disruption from the resurgence of COVID-19 at the exit of the quarter, most notably in parts of the US and Europe.

Among the many topics covered in the comprehensive Q420/FY20 Spine Market Recap * are:

Derrick Johns, President and CEO of DiFusion Technologies, discusses the challenges and opportunities associated with developing and commercializing a new biomaterial in an interview with SmartTRAK. 

Nearly every company in Spine (and dare we say all of Orthopedics) is working to find the holy grail of biomaterials for interbody implants and more. DiFusion Technologies’ President and CEO Derrick Johns discusses the challenges and opportunities associated with bringing a novel material to market in an interview with SmartTRAK.

To listen to the interview, recorded live via Zoom, click on the following video. A link to download a complete transcript of the interview is also provided below.

Tracking which procedures will drive growth within the Spine hardware market as we ride the ups and downs of COVID-19.

Following a Q320 rebound in elective procedures sparking a return to growth for the COVID-ravaged Spine market, the recent COVID resurgence has once again dragged US Spine growth rates down. While many companies have yet to report Q420 earnings, early signs point to a downturn, with procedure volumes impacted by hospital resource utilization and renewed restrictions around elective procedures.

In this article, Julianne Burns, SmartTRAK's GM, Spine, looks at the following topics:

• The COVID Impact Update
• Shifts in Cervical Total Disc Replacement (cTDR)
• Growth in Prone Lateral Procedures
• Expansion in SI Joint Fusion
• Innovation in Interbody Materials

Continuing robotic implant pull-through and achievement of enabling technology milestones reflect increasing importance of CAS Spine technology in Q320.

Similar to market dynamics in recon robotics, spine robotics are beginning to reach a tipping point in market acceptance. In its Q320 earnings call, CEO Dave Demski noted that Globus Medical* is seeing increasing interest in its Excelsius GPS* robot and that the Company is in a different part of the robotic adoption curve, with surgeons well beyond their initial skepticism as robots have become more mainstream. Globus and Medtronic* have the strongest positions in enabling technology and robotics in spine. However, competition will be heating up over the next several years.

Rising COVID cases in the US casting shadows of doubt on ongoing rebound for the Spine market. 

Quarterly results hint at a sustained rebound for the Spine market even as the US faces a surge of COVID cases. WW Spine Hardware revenues were up as surgeons worked through a backlog of patients postponed due to COVID-19. The US Spinal Fusion Market saw a +3.6% uptick in Q320, with the US Disc Replacement market, VCF and Dynamic Devices all showing growth, according to SmartTRAK Financial Dashboard.

In an October Needham Spine & Robotics Expert Call, Spine surgeon Dr. Peter Whang noted that he and his peers were operating at full capacity at the time with a large backlog of patients to work through. In order to catch up on cases, accommodations are being made with extended clinic hours and elective cases scheduled on weekends. Dr. Whang affirms that COVID has accelerated the shift of spine procedures to an ASC setting and notes that ASC cases recovered faster and will be more resistant to any restrictions due to future COVID spikes.

Among the many topics covered in the comprehensive Q320 Spine Market Recap* are:

SmartTRAK highlights what’s new in the Spine and Orthopedic Computer-Assisted Surgery (CAS) markets. Our daily updates cover the latest news and up-to-date intel on competitors, revenues, products, patents, trends and research in CAS. Companies covered include Exactech, DePuy Synthes, THINK Surgical, Subtle Medical, CurvSmith & Nephew, Surgalign, Medtronic and others.

The following is a sampling of market updates covering recently published studies, articles and clinical trials in orthopedic regenerative medicine that were curated, reviewed and posted in real time by Elise Wolf, SmartTRAK’s General Manager, Computer-Assisted Surgery.

Changes proposed in the CMS 2021 Proposed Rules could weigh heavily on the Spine market if enacted.

The Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services (CMS) recently released its Proposed Rules for the Physician Fee Schedule as well as the Outpatient and ASC Payment System for calendar year 2021. There were a number of new and unanticipated proposals within each of the Rules that are likely to have a profound impact on spinal surgery should they be adopted in the Final Rules later this year. A few of the highlights, including those concerning the Physician Fee Schedules and Hospital Outpatient and ASC Payment Systems, are included in the complete article.

To learn more about these and other proposed rule changes, click the button below to read the full article.