Europe: Hip Replacements Increase by 33%, Knees by 50% Plus
Between 1998 and 2008, European countries saw a huge increase in hip and knee replacements. This trend is expected to continue, as the prevalence of osteoarthritis goes up during the next few years. Two main factors, which come as no surprise, can be blamed for the rise in this condition--an aging population and the rise of obesity. The report, Health at a Glance: Europe 2010, also states that...
Bicompartmental Knees Inch into Total Knee Market
The iDuo G2, from ConforMIS, targets only the diseased portions of the knee. Tissue and bone preservation has become a big deal in orthopaedics. When ConforMIS Inc. came out with technologies that not only precisely fit patients but also avoided removing bone, it was praised for its innovation. Although the company continues to improve its products, John Slamin, senior vice president...
Ortho Industry Digs Beneath the Surface for Success
In the past month alone, orthopaedics companies have laid the grounds for future success. They’ve added jobs, engaged in acquisitions to solidify product lines, and many manufacturers have reported encouraging financial results.    Biomet announced a plan to add nearly 280 jobs to its Warsaw, IN headquarters over the next two years and is spending $26 million on site...
Start-Up Help: OrthoVation Keeps Innovation Local
  In addition to being the president and CEO of MicroPulse (Columbia City, IN), Brian Emerick is an investor. He houses a business incubation center, called the OrthoVation Center, within MicroPulse for orthopaedic start-ups in Indiana. While many start-up companies have a difficult time attracting investors, the OrthoVation Center is helping them succeed. “Start-ups fail many times [...
Biomet, Zimmer, Stryker, Wright Medical, Among Top 25 Medical Device Players
Aside from being top companies within the orthopaedics industry, Biomet, Stryker, Zimmer, Wright Medical, Synthes, and Smith & Nephew are among the top 25 manufacturers in the entire medical device industry. In an article published by MD+DI, Yair Holtzman and Tom Figgatt, Sr of WTP Advisors discuss how these companies successfully made it through the rough economy of the past few years....
Device Companies: Attract Investors by Differentiating Yourself
  The orthopedic device industry has taken a beating during the past few years, just as other sectors of the medical device industry have struggled. Although the sector has improved in areas, we are far from recovery and may never get back to the good ol’ days. Competition is fierce and getting products through the arduous FDA process is no picnic. As companies revisit their strategies...
Recovery of Orthopaedics Companies Remains Slow
  In a daily letter from Canaccord Genuity, analysts reiterated a statement made last summer about the end of the glory days in orthopaedics. That is not to say that things won’t get better, but don’t expect to see improvements until the economy as a whole recovers. Three Manufacturers Who Look Good: China Kangui Holdings. The China-based orthopaedics company continues to grow...
China's Medical Device Market Growing at a Rapid Clip
A report recently released from Citi titled "Seizing China’s MedTech Opportunities" finds that the Chinese market for medical devices grew at a compound annual growth rate (CAGR) of 33.9% from 2005–2010. Rounding out the top-four fastest growing countries are the remaining BRIC nations: Russia (23.9% CAGR), Brazil (22.1%), and India (14.7%). The report estimates the total...
FDA Warns Depuy, Stryker on Top Again, Innovation Talk
  As the highs and lows of a week in medtech go, the past few days have been no exception. DePuy received a warning letter concerning joint replacements and has reportedly stopped making certain devices. Stryker is on top (again), as it ranked 80 on Fortune’s “100 Best Companies to Work For” list. Finally Mir Imran, an esteemed entrepreneur, innovator, and investor in the...
Hip Implant Bearing Report Shows Little Difference Among Bearing Combinations
As metal-on-metal hip implants continue to be scrutinized, here's the latest from Jim Dickinson in MD+DI's Washington Wrap-Up: A review of clinical trials, observational studies, and registries produced limited evidence on comparative effectiveness of various hip implant bearing combinations, according to an open source British Medical Journal report by researchers from CDRH and universities...