Orthopedic Power Tools Market to Witness Moderate Growth Despite Austerity Measures

LONDON, UK (GlobalData), 25 June 2014 - Despite austerity measures, the global orthopedic power tools market will experience moderate growth from $1,406 million in 2013 to $1,674 million by 2020, at a Compound Annual Growth Rate (CAGR) of 2.5%, according to research and consulting firm GlobalData.

The company’s latest report* states that while all ten major markets (10MM: the US, France, Germany, Italy, Spain, the UK, Japan, Brazil, China, and India) are expected to grow in sales, western countries will be experiencing stronger pricing pressures and delayed capital equipment upgrades thanks to their governments’ healthcare budget constraints for high-volume orthopedic surgeries.

Linda Tian, GlobalData’s Analyst covering Orthopedic Devices, says: “In western economies, sales of pneumatic-powered tools will be declining as a proportion of the overall market, as surgeons adopt new-generation battery-powered systems. The adoption of these new technologies will be one of the key drivers of growth during the forecast period.

“However, cost-containment efforts by cash-strapped hospitals will continue to result in pricing erosion in nearly every segment of the orthopedic power tools market, particularly with large bone power tools, as the whole orthopedic community is now placing appreciable emphasis on austerity measures in hip and knee procedures.”

Of the 10MM, GlobalData expects revenues to grow fastest in China and India, as these markets offer a multitude of opportunities for power tool manufacturers seeking international expansion.

”While the high cost of battery-powered systems will hinder their widespread adoption in the developing world, the improving healthcare infrastructures and anticipated increase in procedure volumes in China and India will help to drive the market in these countries,” states the analyst.

GlobalData believes Stryker, currently the world’s leading manufacturer of orthopedic power tools with 35% of the global market in 2013, will continue to dominate for the next few years. However, the competitive landscape is expected to evolve.

Tian explains: “The bar for effective competition has been raised again and again in the power tools field, making it very difficult for small- to mid-sized companies to navigate the competitive landscape. How the tier-two companies will leverage their platform technologies, in order to diversify their current portfolios and enhance their competitive edges against Stryker, will be the most interesting development to follow in the coming years.”