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12 SPINE SURGEONS 5 Reasons Why Spine Care Will Boom in the Next Decade By Stefano Sinicropi, MD, President and CEO, Midwest Spine & Brain Institute H ealthcare is a complex industry that is ever-changing. From potential chang- es to the Affordable Care Act and insur- ance regulations, to ever-improving tech- niques and technology, it's impossible to predict how the healthcare in- dustry will evolve in the coming years. Howev- er, when it comes to spine care, medical experts project a big boom for the industry. We look at five reasons why spine care will come to the forefront of healthcare in the coming decade. Expanding Spine Care Market Whether you're considering a career in medi- cine or you just want to learn why it's import- ant to take care of your spine, here's a look at five reasons why the spine care market is set to boom in the coming years: 1. More sports injuries. More children and teens are playing sports than in years past, and as competition improves, parents tend to push their children to specialize in one sport. Single sport specialization has been linked to a higher rate of injuries, especially in growing children. Driven by repetitive athletic training in China and the U.S., medical experts project significant growth in the spine care market. 2. Obesity. More kids are playing sports, which is great, but on the flip side, we're also seeing higher rates of obesity than ever before. Obesity stresses the spine, which is tasked with shouldering the excess weight. With ev- ery step, your spine becomes more and more stressed. Over time, this leads to degeneration and spinal problems, which are projected to spur spinal growth in the coming years. 3. Aging population. It seems obvious to say that people will continue to get older in the coming years, but as the large baby boomer gets into their 60s, 70s, and 80s, we can expect an influx of spinal problems. According to a recent GlobalData report, the aging popula- tion is expected to help fuel the spinal market over the next few years. We spent $4.19 billion on spine care in 2016, and that's projected to increase to $5.73 billion by the year 2023. 4. Better and smaller techniques. Anoth- er reason why the spine care market is set to grow in the coming years is because we're get- ting better at performing operations. Patients who may have put off surgery are now willing to undergo an operation because success rates have gotten better and minimally invasive techniques mean that patients aren't out of commission for as long. 5. Better implants. Along a similar vein, the spine market will continue to thrive in the coming years because device manufacturers are getting better at developing more durable and biocompatible implants. Not only are sur- geries getting less invasive, but the operations are providing people with longer relief be- cause the devices are better made. Again, this leads people who wouldn't normally undergo an operation to seek out surgical options be- cause we're getting better at providing long- term relief. n Dr. Stefano Sinicropi Choose the partner already doing it. Spine and Total Joint ASCs Safe, Profitable and Now Possible Acquisition • Development • Management Be a Game Changer. Partner With Us. 615-301-8140 • www.meridiansurgicalpartners.com Spine is making the move to ASCs... Now TOTAL JOINTS are too.