Scoliosis: Unmet Need Spawns Device Innovation

Article preview from Medtech Insight - May 1, 2011

The once high-flying spine market has been brought down to earth recently as industrywide pressures from regulatory approval to payor reimbursement have altered the outlook on profits. These changes can be especially hard on specialized areas of the market such as the scoliosis field, where a great deal of innovation is still in the research stages at universities and start-up companies.

Scoliosis: Unmet Need Spawns Device Innovation

Article preview from Medtech Insight - May 1, 2011

The once high-flying spine market has been brought down to earth recently as industry-wide pressures from regulatory approval topayor reimbursement have altered the outlook on profits. These types of changes can be especially hard on specialized areas of the market such as the scoliosis field, where a great deal of innovation is still in the research stages at universities and burgeoning start-up companies. However, some manufacturers see the troubled times as an opportunity to differentiate themselves and their products, which, more than ever, need to demonstrate clear value for patients.A key to finding success for new spine products in this uncertain market rests on the most basic premise of manufacturing: develop a product that fits a very specific need and is in some level of demand.

Companies targeting scoliosis are attempting to follow that advice, with products aimed at one of the most underserved areas in the spine arena. Scoliosis affects about six million people in the US, mostly children between the ages of 10 and 15, with a prevalence of 3 per 1,000 to 5 per 1,000 in children. It is distinguishable by the side-to-side curve in the spine that makes a C or S shape, rather than the straight line from the neck to the hips. According to the American Academy of Orthopaedic Surgeons (AAOS), there are four primary types of scoliosis: infantile, which occurs in children under age three; juvenile, which occurs in children ages three to 10; adolescent,found in children between age 10 and the age at which they stop growing; and adult, which occurs in people who have reached skeletal maturity.

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