Issue link: https://beckershealthcare.uberflip.com/i/1456545
34 DEVICES & IMPLANTS Stryker's spine, orthopedic sales hit $2.1B in Q4: 6 insights By Alan Condon S tryker posted $4.7 billion in fourth-quarter net sales, with full- year sales increasing 19.2 percent to $17.1 billion compared to 2020. Six insights from the company's fourth-quar- ter financial report, published Jan. 27: 1. In the fourth quarter, orthopedics and spine net sales increased 12.5 percent year over year to $2.1 billion. Full-year net sales were $7.6 billion, representing a 26 percent increase compared with 2020 and an 18.1 percent increase compared with 2019. 2. Fourth-quarter medsurg and neurotech- nology net sales increased 8.7 percent year over year to $2.6 billion. Net sales in 2021 were $9.5 billion, a 14.3 percent increase compared with 2020 and a 12.6 percent in- crease compared with 2019. 3. Stryker's reported net earnings of $662 million in the fourth quarter and $2 billion for 2021 increased 16.5 percent and 24.7 percent, respectively. 4. Organic net sales growth in 2022 is ex- pected to be in the range of 6 to 8 percent, the company said. 5. Stryker continues to assess the effect the COVID-19 pandemic will have on its op- erations and financial results but said the "short-term outlook remains volatile." 6. "We delivered a strong year of financial results, despite the ongoing challenges of the pandemic," said Kevin Lobo, chair and CEO. "Organic sales growth of over 7 percent ver- sus 2019, coupled with double-digit adjust- ed [earnings per share] growth and excellent cash flow performance were all noteworthy achievements, as was the excellent integra- tion of Wright Medical. We continue to be well-positioned for future growth." n Judge sides with spine surgeon in patent suit against SeaSpine By Alan Condon A federal judge in Delaware has sided with a prominent spine sur- geon-inventor in a patent infringement lawsuit filed against SeaSpine, an implant manufacturer, Bloomberg Law reported Jan. 26. Six notes: 1. Mark Barry, MD, a Las Vegas-based pediatric orthopedic and scoliosis sur- geon, alleged in a June 2 lawsuit that SeaSpine sells spinal alignment devices that infringe his patents. 2. The case involves SeaSpine's Daytona deformity and small stature spinal systems. 3. SeaSpine argued that Dr. Barry's invention is not entitled to patent protec- tion because it involved what the company considers an abstract idea — "rotat- ing two or more vertebrae at the same time," which is also known as "en bloc derotation." The judge rejected SeaSpine's argument. 4. Dr. Barry is seeking cash compensation to be determined at a jury trial. 5. The surgeon also filed a patent infringement case in June against Alphatec in relation to one of its spinal fixation systems. 6. Dr. Barry has a history of wins in patent litigation cases. In 2017, a federal judge ordered Medtronic to pay Dr. Barry $23.5 million for infringing on two of his spine device patents. n Orthopedic surgeon awarded $1.3M for stem cell research By Alan Condon T he California Institute of Regenerative Medicine has provided a $1.3 million grant to Kevin Stone, MD, chair of the Stone Research Founda- tion, and Mani Vessal, PhD, senior director of research and operation for the foundation, to advance a paste graft technique for cartilage repair. Dr. Stone, a San Francisco-based orthopedic surgeon, developed a surgical technique called articular cartilage paste grafting in 1991. The procedure uses the patient's stem cells, cartilage and bone to repair and regenerate ar- thritic defects in the knee. Outcome studies of articular cartilage paste grafting have demonstrated an 80 percent success rate in patients over 20 years, a significant improvement over the widely used microfracture technique, according to a Feb. 1 news release. Drs. Stone and Vessal are using the grant for a two-year study designed to improve cartilage regeneration using stem cells and an adhesive hydrogel that acts like a glue. "If this enhancement proves to be an improvement over current techniques, we will advance to a human clinical trial to address the widespread need to treat and cure arthritis," Dr. Vessal said. n