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| |  Total Joint Replacement Industry Provides Pain Relief to Arthritis Sufferers MOUNTAIN VIEW, Calif.-- Nov. 12, 1996 -- Until there is a cure for arthritis, the need for total joint replacements will remain stable and could show expansion as baby boomers - injured playing sports in their youth - take advantage of the technology to ease pain. That is the conclusion reached in new strategic research conducted by Frost & Sullivan, U.S. PROSTHETIC JOINT IMPLANTS MARKET. Arthritis afflicts 40 million Americans, striking hips, knees, shoulders, elbows, fingers and toes. When tissue degenerates to uselessness and pain is intolerable, sufferers seek relief with prosthetics. Hips are most frequently replaced; knees generate the most revenue, according to the Frost & Sullivan study. Over 500,000 joint replacement procedures are performed each year in the U.S. In 1995, reconstructive joint products generated $1.7 billion in revenues. But the market for joint replacement products continued to buckle under the pressure of cost containment. One trend identified by Frost & Sullivan analysts is a shift from traditional insurance reimbursement for total joint replacement (TJR) to negotiated contracts among large hospital alliances and managed care organizations. That would indicate the market is peaking. By the year 2002, Frost & Sullivan expects the market to reach $2.0 billion. Unknown is the extent to which baby boomers will turn to TJR, although analysts believe continued refinements to prosthetics may well induce boomers to undergo the surgery when anti-inflammatory drugs or arthroscopy fail to provide relief. There are obstacles to growth "The persistent problem of polyethylene wear in the hip and knee markets, and the technical challenge of exact, anatomical alignment of the prosthetic knee are two areas which, if definitively addressed by manufacturers' products, could send this mature market into a new growth phase," says medical analyst Julie Cluett. Manufacturers have tried to improve the polyethylene material, but have yet to discover the right formula. They are also changing the design of acetabular shells to eliminate dome screw holes, lessening migration of polyethylene debris. This research by Frost & Sullivan details in length how TJR companies are competing for market share. Its analysis provides significant strategic insight into the direction and velocity of this field; companies receive recommendations for strategic action when purchasing this report, and receive a reliable source for continuing research by an international marketing consulting firm dedicated to defining market problems, needs and opportunities. The companies included in this study are: Acumed Corp., Exactech, Inc., Howmedica, Inc., Implex Corp., Intermedics Orthopaedics, Inc., Johnson & Johnson Professional, Kinetikos Medical, Inc., Link America, Inc., MicroAire Surgical Instruments, Osteoimplant Technology Inc., Osteonics Corp., Sgarlato Laboratories, Inc., Smith & Nephew, Inc., US Medical Products, Inc., Wright Medical Technology, Inc., Zimmer, Inc., Related Cos., 3M Orthopaedic Products Division, Bristol-Myers Squibb, Corange Limited, First Equity Corp. of Florida, Johnson & Johnson Professional, Inc., Matsumoto Medical Instruments, Mechanical Dynamics, Inc., NuSil Technology, Ortho Development, OrthoTechnique SA, OsteoBiologics, Inc., Pfizer, Inc., PLUS Endoprothetik AG, Questus Corp., Smith Management Co., Stryker Corp., Sulzer Medical Technology Ltd, Sulzermedica USA, Inc., Titanium Industries, Inc., and Waldemar Link GmbH & Co. Frost & Sullivan is an international marketing consulting company that monitors the medical industry for market trends, market measurements, and strategies. This ongoing research is utilized to update a series of research publications and to support industry participants with customized consulting needs.
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