According to Millennium Research Group (MRG), the global authority on medical technology market intelligence, the spinal nonfusion market will increase at a compound annual growth rate of almost 17% through 2013. Although certain spinal nonfusion treatments in the Asia Pacific region experienced a decline in 2008 over 2007, MRG's Asia Pacific Markets for Spinal Implants 2009 report finds that the number of spinal nonfusion treatments performed in South Korea and Australia will grow robustly through 2013.
Spinal nonfusion treatment volumes in Australia were the lowest of the Asia Pacific countries covered in this report in 2008. Due to insufficient favorable clinical data, interspinous process decompression (IPD) devices and pedicle screw-based dynamic stabilization systems lost national reimbursement coverage in 2008. Since 2006, unfavorable reimbursement has also slowed growth in the number of artificial disc procedures performed in Australia. Artificial discs for both the lumbar and cervical spine will, however, regain favorable reimbursement toward the end of 2010 due to pressure from key opinion leaders and the emergence of additional clinical data, boosting procedural growth.
"The South Korean market also experienced obstacles in 2008. Due to the difficult economic environment in South Korea, the government has placed considerable pressure on hospitals to reduce the number of high-cost spinal implant procedures. Many spinal nonfusion treatments, such as IPD and cervical artificial disc procedures, were performed for profit and not by necessity," says Deanna Vankessel, Analyst at MRG. "The government is now implementing criteria to lower spending on these potentially unnecessary procedures by requiring a minimum of 6 months conservative care and proof that all alternatives have been considered before performing one of these treatments."
Consequently, many healthcare facilities in South Korea will decrease the number of IPD and cervical artificial disc procedures performed, restricting spinal nonfusion treatment volumes to some extent; however, the limitation will be offset by continued growth in other nonfusion segments. Upon economic recovery, which is expected to start early in 2010, the number of spinal nonfusion treatments performed in South Korea will rebound as cost-containment pressures begin to lift.
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