KNEE REPLACEMENT MARKET ANALYSIS

Knee replacement surgery helps relieve pain and restore function in severely diseased knee joints. The procedure involves cutting away damaged bone and cartilage from your thighbone, shinbone, and kneecap, and replacing it with an artificial joint (prosthesis) made of metal alloys, high-grade plastics, and polymers. The demand for this surgery is expected to increase over the forecast period, owing to the increasing prevalence of types of arthritis such as osteoarthritis, psoriatic arthritis, and rheumatoid arthritis, and increasing geriatric population. For instance, according to a study published in the Journal of Bone and Joint Surgery American (JBJSA) in 2015, more than 7% of people in their 70s and 10% of people in their 80s have had a knee replacement. Also, rising technological advancements such as minimally invasive surgeries along with presence of better implant materials are likely to drive growth of the knee replacement market.

Knee Replacement Market – Impact of Coronavirus (COVID-19) Pandemic

During the COVID-19 pandemic, many patients with arthritis are struggling to receive treatment due to hospitals canceling or delaying surgeries and other procedures, including arthroplasty and other knee replacement surgeries. There is also concern that patients who have mild arthritis that require timely implementation of surgery have unfortunately concluded that the risk of contracting COVID-19 may outweigh the benefits of arthroplasty. As non-essential surgery restrictions remain in parts of the U.S., the COVID-19 pandemic is having a profound impact on hip and knee arthroplasty surgery volume and could translate to major financial loss according to a study by University of Iowa, U.S. According to the same study, researchers estimated that 30,000 primary and 3,000 revision total hip arthroplasty and total knee arthroplasty procedures will be canceled every week while restrictions remain in place.

The global knee replacement market is estimated to be valued at US$ 9.4 billion in 2020 and is expected to exhibit a CAGR of 4.1% during the forecast period (2020-2027).

Figure 1. Global Knee Replacement Market Share (%), By Region, 2027

Increasing product approvals and launches, and prevalence of arthritis are expected to drive growth of the global knee replacement market

Major factors driving the market growth include the rising focus of established players in gaining product approvals and launching new products, and expanding their consumer base by offering innovative and technologically advanced products. For instance, in October 2019, IMPLANET, a medical technology company specializing in vertebral and knee-surgery implants, announced that it received 510(k) clearance from the U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA) for the cemented version of its Madison total knee prosthesis. This is the first step towards targeted clearance of complete total knee replacement (TKR) range.

Furthermore, increasing prevalence of types of arthritis is expected to boost the global knee replacement market growth in the near future. For instance, according to the data of National Center for Chronic Disease Prevention and Health Promotion (NCCDPHP), around 23% of all adults or more than 54 million people aged 18 years or older have arthritis in the U.S., as of 2019. As per the same source, it is a leading cause of work disability, with annual costs for medical care and lost earnings of US$ 303.5 billion. The prevalence of osteoarthritis is increasing due to population ageing and an increase in related factors such as obesity and sedentary life style. The physical disability arising from pain and loss of functional capacity reduces quality of life and increases the risk of further morbidity. As highly effective medicinal management is not available, emphasis should be given to preventive aspect of life style measures in the form of healthy diet and exercise.

Knee Replacement Market – Restraints

The major restraining factor of knee replacement market is the increasing number of FDA recalls of knee replacement implants due to product failures, component inconsistency or compromised sterility issues, which may hamper growth of the knee replacement market size over the forecast period. For instance, in July 2020, Zimmer Biomet issued a recall for an unspecified number of polyethylene orthopedic implants for knees, hips, and extremities manufactured between December 2016 and January 2017 in Europe due to the possible presence of elevated endotoxin levels. Expected health consequences include adverse local tissue reaction; critical pain or ache and severe, systemic reaction to allergen or toxin, according to the recall notice.

Knee Replacement Market – Regional Analysis

On the basis of region, the global knee replacement market is segmented into North America, Latin America, Europe, Asia Pacific, Middle East, and Africa.

North America is expected to be the most lucrative region in the knee replacement market during the forecast period. The increasing number of product approvals and launches are major factors propelling growth of the North America knee replacement market. For instance, in November 2019, THINK Surgical and MCRA announced that they obtained the U.S. FDA approval for Total Knee Replacement Technology to market the TSolution One Total Knee Application for use in total knee arthroplasty (TKA) in the U.S. The TSolution One Total Knee Application includes CT-based 3D pre-surgical planning software, which allows surgeons to design and prepare, in a virtual environment, the patient’s unique knee joint replacement plan using a choice of knee implant options.

Moreover, Asia Pacific knee replacement market is expected to witness significant growth during the forecast period, owing to increasing prevalence of arthritis in Asia Pacific. For instance, according to a study called ‘Epidemiology of Knee Osteoarthritis in India and Related Factors’, osteoarthritis (OA) is the second most common rheumatologic problem and it is the most frequent joint disease with a prevalence of 22% to 39% in India. OA is more common in women than men. Nearly 45% of women over the age of 65 years have symptoms while 70% of those over 65 years show radiological evidence of OA.

Figure 2. Global Knee Replacement Market Value (US$ Bn) & Y-o-Y Growth (%), 2016-2027

Global Knee Replacement Market - Competitive Landscape

Key players operating in the global knee replacement market include Zimmer Biomet, Stryker Corporation, Smith & Nephew Plc, Johnson & Johnson Services Inc., B. Braun Melsungen AG, Medacta International, MicroPort Scientific Corporation, ConforMIS, Inc., Corin Group, Exactech, Inc., DJO Global, Inc., Baumer Holding AG, SurgTech Inc. Wright Medical Group N.V., and X.NOV.