DFine, DePuy, and Osseon Making Headway in the US Vertebral Compression Fracture Treatment Market

WALTHAM, Mass., May 6 /PRNewswire/ -- According to Millennium Research Group (MRG), the global authority on medical technology market intelligence, the US vertebral compression fracture treatment market generated only $75 million in Q1 2010, showing continued fallout from two articles published in the New England Journal of Medicine last August that questioned the efficacy of vertebroplasty.  

The studies showed similar improvements in pain for patients receiving vertebroplasty or a sham procedure, calling the benefits of vertebroplasty into question. Since the publication of the studies, the market has slumped due in large part to decreased patient referrals. In response, companies are working to educate referring physicians about the benefits of vertebral compression fracture treatment as well as to distinguish their products from conventional vertebroplasty.

According to Q1 Vertebral Compression Fracture Treatment Marketrack™ data, some of the companies gaining traction include DFine, DePuy, and Osseon Therapeutics. DFine's StabiliT Vertebral Augmentation System entered the US market in October 2008 and uses radiofrequency energy to produce ultra-high viscosity cement. DePuy's CONFIDENCE System, launched in the US in April 2008, provides directional high viscosity cement placement, and allows for a longer working time compared to other systems. Osseon Therapeutics' Osseoplasty 1.0 was launched in the US in December 2008 and features a unique curved delivery system that enables the physician to channel through the vertebral body, creating a void to house the injected bone cement.

"While Medtronic Spinal & Biologics remains the undisputed leader in the US vertebral compression fracture treatment market with its well known balloon kyphoplasty system, both Stryker Interventional Spine and CareFusion recently launched vertebral augmentation products, making them the only two players in the market with complete offerings for both vertebroplasty and vertebral augmentation," says Kevin Flewwelling, Manager of the Orthopedics division at MRG. "Because of this new dynamic, we anticipate some shifts in market shares in Q2."  

MRG's Vertebral Compression Fracture Treatment Marketrack project gathers data from 120 operating rooms and 120 interventional radiology suites throughout the US on a quarterly basis. Product categories covered include complete vertebroplasty and vertebral augmentation kits, bone cement packages, delivery systems, and accessories. Marketrack subscribers receive thousands of data points, including usage (units, average selling prices, and revenues), procedures, competitor shares, and brand-level information.

About Millennium Research Group

Millennium Research Group (www.MRG.net), a Decision Resources, Inc. company (www.DecisionResourcesInc.com), is the global authority on medical technology market intelligence and the leading provider of strategic information to the healthcare sector. The company provides specialized industry expertise through multiclient market research, ongoing Marketrack™ projects, customer behavior tracking, facility-level procedure forecasting, and customized solutions.

About Decision Resources, Inc.

Decision Resources, Inc. is a cohesive portfolio of companies that offers best-in-class, high-value information, and insights on important sectors of the healthcare industry. Clients rely on this analysis and data to make informed decisions. Please visit Decision Resources, Inc. at www.DecisionResourcesInc.com.

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SOURCE Millennium Research Group