According to Millennium Research Group (MRG), the global authority on medical technology market intelligence, patients and surgeons are driving demand for elective orthopedic procedures. Recessionary pressures slowed growth in joint arthroplasty procedures between 2008 and 2009; however, novel technology, such as hip resurfacing and joint revision implants, is enabling a wider range of patients to be treated in the US, Europe, and Japan, while the burgeoning middle classes in Brazil, China, and India are opting for elective joint replacement procedures and driving global growth by 7% annually through 2013.
MRG's Global Markets for Bone Cement and Accessories 2009 report finds that as device benefits emerge, their adoption will increase in all countries under study. The resulting procedure volume growth will propel sales of bone cement, cement mixing/delivery systems, and cement spacer molds. The prefabricated cement spacer mold segment will outperform the overall market, with 10% annual growth fueled by the release of positive clinical data for this relatively new technology.
In the US and Europe, a two-stage revision procedure has become the standard of care for treating infected hip and knee arthroplasties. Silicone-based cement spacer molds allow the surgeon to create an antibiotic cement implant in the shape of a prosthetic hip or knee implant. This antibiotic-loaded implant preserves normal leg length, allows for early patient mobilization, and quickly delivers the antibiotics locally to the periprosthetic space, to prevent further infection.