Issue link: https://beckershealthcare.uberflip.com/i/1365724
55 DEVICES & IMPLANTS Spinal fusion devices market to hit $8.9B by 2027: 4 insights By Alan Condon B y 2027, the worldwide spinal fusion devices market is projected to reach $8.9 billion, according to Emergen Research. Four insights: 1. Market growth is expected to be driven by advancements in surgical technology that improve the efficiency of spinal fu- sion, leading to increased adoption. 2. Minimally invasive options such as robotic spine surgery, which lead to less pain, quicker recoveries and shorter hospital stays, are a significant contributor to market growth, according to the report. 3. Risks and high costs of spinal fusions are anticipated to stifle demand for devices. 4. Strict government regulations on device approval could also hamper market growth. n NuVasive awaits spine robot approval: 6 things to know By Alan Condon S pine device company NuVasive submitted its Pulse sys- tem and associated robotics application for approval in February. Six things to know: 1. NuVasive said it hopes to achieve FDA clearance soon and launch the system in the summer. 2. Pulse is an open-imaging platform integrated with Siemens' 3D mobile C-arm, Cios Spine. 3. The system is expected to have applications for all spinal surgeries, not just complex or low-acuity cases. 4. Pulse features neuromonitoring, surgical planning, radiation reduction and rod-bending technologies, as well as imaging and navigation functions. 5. The timeline for the device had been delayed because of "software and hardware updates following beta testing, as well as the impact of COVID-19," CEO Chris Barry said. 6. NuVasive said it expects Pulse to compete with other robotic spine offerings on the market, including Medtronic's Mazor X, Glo- bus Medical's Excelsius GPS and Zimmer Biomet's Rosa Spine. n 2 orthopedic device company spinoffs set for 2022 By Alan Condon T wo new publicly traded orthopedic device companies are expected to enter the market in 2022, according to announcements from Zimmer Biomet and Colfax Corp. in the last month: 1. Zimmer Biomet plans to spin off its spine and dental units to create two independent companies. Zimmer Biomet will focus on orthopedics and NewCo will be dedicated to spine and dental. The company decid- ed to spin off the dental and spine lines because they include similar implant materials and scalability pros- pects. The transaction is expected to close in mid-2022. 2. Industrial equipment manufacturer Colfax plans to split its medical device business, DJO, and its industri- al business, ESAB, into two companies. DJO, acquired by Colfax for $3.2 billion in 2019, develops products for joint reconstruction, vascular health and pain man- agement. The device company will be renamed be- fore the split to reflect its strategic focus. n Medtronic, University of Louisville get $7.8M for spinal cord injury research By Alan Condon T he National Institutes of Health has awarded the University of Louisville (Ky.) and Medtronic a $7.8 million grant to study epidural stimula- tion for the treatment of spinal cord injury. Medtronic will work with scientists from the university to develop software applications for spinal cord injury that integrate with its Intellis spinal cord stimulator system. The five-year project will focus on developing technology to improve control of locomotor and bladder function. Research will be conducted at the university's Ken- tucky Spinal Cord Injury Research Center. Maxwell Boakye, MD, neurosurgeon and clinical di- rector of the center, will lead the project with Claudia Angeli, PhD, director of the center's epidural stimula- tion program. "Integrating multiple systems will allow people with chronic spinal cord injuries to benefit from stimulation on a daily basis by reducing the need to monitor and manually revise stimulation settings," Dr. Angeli said. n