TORONTO, Sept. 1 /PRNewswire/ — According to Millennium
Research Group (MRG), the global authority on medical technology
market intelligence, although interspinous process decompression
devices will continue to be used in a narrow set of indications
over the next five years in Europe, the market will grow at a much
lower rate than previously expected. With a compound annual
growth rate of 1.2%, this is low compared to the nonfusion market
as a whole which is growing on average at 10%.
A form of dynamic stabilization – interspinous process
decompression device procedures were the most commonly performed
nonfusion surgery in Europe in 2009, accounting for nearly 40% of
all spinal nonfusion procedures. Rapid adoption in the past
was due in large part to the ease-of-use of the devices, resulting
in surgeons implanting them for the treatment of broad indications.
Surgeon use of these devices for inappropriate indications,
however, resulted in many cases of device failure, which then led
to a high volume of revision surgeries. As a result, reimbursement
approvals for these devices are becoming stricter and are only
granted when used in appropriate indications. Slowing in the number
interspinous process decompression device procedures will result in
decreased surgeon uptake of popular interspinous process
decompression devices, including Medtronic Spinal & Biologic’s
X-STOP and DIAM, Paradigm Spine’s coflex and
Zimmer Spine’s Wallis.
“Surgeons are losing their initial enthusiasm about the
technology, which is attributed to doubts about how effective
interspinous process decompression devices are in treating
pathological conditions of the spine,” says Andrew Lee, Analyst at
MRG. “Payors in the UK and Italy are placing pressure on hospitals
to reduce the use of interspinous process decompression devices by
narrowing the indications for which the devices are reimbursed.
Furthermore, poor
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