As the COVID-19 workplace restrictions ease up, the MedTech industry continues to progress with product innovation and plans for the future. In July, AOSSM and AANA are partnering for a combined annual meeting, the first in-person meeting for both since the start of the pandemic. SmartTRAK reports daily on the challenges still ahead, covering all aspects of the Sports Medicine market.

The following is just a small sampling of recent Sports Medicine related updates from around the world compiled, reviewed and posted in real time by our SmartTRAK analysts. We constantly monitor the worldwide MedTech industry, sifting through the noise to present to our subscribers the most relevant international news, patents, trends, new products, financial data and competitor developments in the global Life Sciences industry.

Patents:

• Zimmer Biomet* 

  Biomet Sports Medicine (ZBH) was issued US Patent “Method and apparatus for forming a self-locking adjustable loop”, describing methods and apparatus for forming a self-locking adjustable loop. 11,039,826

• Cannabinoid for Sports Med Applications
  Precision Biologic’s US Patent Application “METHODS OF USING CANNABINOID COMPOSITIONS IN SPORTS MEDICINE APPLICATIONS” was published. 20210128521

• Stryker*

  Stryker (Ivy Sports Medicine LLC) was issued US Patent “System and method for all-inside suture fixation for implant attachment and soft tissue repair”, describing an all-inside soft tissue repair device. 10,932,769

Dan Volz, President of Medtronic Neurovascular, discusses what’s next for Medtronic Neurovascular in an interview with SmartTRAK.

Dan Volz, President of Medtronic Neurovascular, discusses the Company’s latest research, innovation and plans for growth in an interview with SmartTRAK. To listen to the interview, recorded live via Uberconference, click on the following video. A link to download the transcript of the interview is also provided below.

In Q420 and into Q121, COVID-19 cases ramped up in the US, impacting US Knee replacement procedures. Several large implant manufacturers reported seeing hip procedures being prioritized over knee replacement cases given their more elective nature. However, revision knee replacements are not always able to be postponed. Craig Della Valle, MD of Midwest Orthopaedics at Rush in Chicago discusses the effects of COVID-19 on revision knee procedures and the changes to care pathways precipitated by the pandemic.

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

Aure Bruneau, CEO of Stimwave, discusses his vision for the Company and taking peripheral nerve stimulation to the next level in an interview with SmartTRAK

Since starting as CEO of Stimwave in April 2020, Aure Bruneau has brought a new vision, energy and focus to the Company.  In the last 12 months, the former Zimmer Biomet executive has been positioning Stimwave for growth, building a high performing team and rebuilding the foundation of the Company, touching almost every aspect of the business, including regulatory, quality, manufacturing operations, marketing, IT, compliance and R&D. Strategically, Bruneau has refined the Company’s spinal cord stimulation (SCS) strategy and shifted efforts toward peripheral nerve stimulation (PNS) where he believes the technology will have a more meaningful impact and a market opportunity as big as the existing SCS market. In fact, he estimates the PNS opportunity to be at least $1.5 billion to treat chronic pain just for selected musculoskeletal indications (shoulders, knees, feet, ankles and the SI joint).

Looking ahead, Stimwave is planning to launch new products and a series of clinical trials in 2021 to validate a new standard of care that will help take the Company’s PNS platform to the next level and help drive future growth.

To find out more, click on the following video (26:35 min) and listen to SmartTRAK’s interview with Bruneau recorded recently via Uberconference. A transcript of the complete interview is also available below.

SmartTRAK outlines consequences COVID-19 is expected to have on the European Trauma & Extremities Market

Twenty-five years of orthopedic business planning has taught me to monitor certain non-business factors when setting goals. Trends in weather patterns, age demographics, lifestyle and activities can have a direct influence on market growth. In 2020, the COVID-19 pandemic negatively impacted the European market with the shutdown of various countries and the ensuing changes in lifestyle such as reduced travel, work and sporting activities. In 2020, SmartTRAK predicted the European Trauma market fell by around 25% with extremities at nearly -50% in the midst of COVID-19 lockdowns. Similar market pressures are also expected during 2021.

Ragna Ouwerkerk, PR Manager at Mediq, discusses the Company and its recent acquisitions in an interview with SmartTRAK.

Mergers and acquisitions have become an attractive business strategy for companies in the wound care space considering to expand into new markets or territories, reach a competitive edge or obtain new technologies. One company looking to strengthen its leadership position in the European wound care market through acquisitions is  Mediq.

Mediq is a Dutch healthcare company founded in 1899 by ninety-one pharmacists as a type of buying group to check the quality of raw materials and medicines. In 2021, Mediq provides pharmaceuticals and medical devices to patients and healthcare facilities globally. Recently, the Company decided to take a major step forward and has had a flurry of acquisitions in the last few months of which some strengthened the presence of the company in some European countries and another helped to enter the UK market.

SmartTRAK: The Company has recently acquired Medirum AB in Sweden, Puls AS in Norway, H&R Healthcare Ltd in the UK, GD Medical AG in Switzerland and Replant 4 Care in Hungary. Mediq also intends to acquire Eurocept Homecare and Da Vinci Kliniek in the Netherlands. What was your thinking behind those acquisitions?

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